The Son of Neptune
by NanetteRyder
Summary: Percy finds himself in a Roman camp where you get eaten if you show any weaknesses. Lovely. He and his new friends must face new and old enemies and save an abducted girl and a heart-broken god from the Giant King's clutches. Percy will pack extra undies.
1. Chapter 1

Son of Neptune: All rights to Rick Riordan.

_**1: Percy Gets a Tattoo**_

**Percy woke up feeling as though** someone had decided it was high time to hit him over the head with a boulder and then let a very long train take its revenge out on him. He moaned very quietly as his limbs all told him that they felt the exact same way. Slowly, grimacing at the light, he opened his eyes and tried to take in everything. He closed his eyes almost immediately though. He wasn't really in the mood to be blinded.

His eyes popped open.

Where was he?

More importantly, who was he?

Slowly, his whole body screaming "I HURT! CUT IT OUT!" and his senses tingling, telling him to look for danger, Percy sat up and found himself nose to nose with a girl.

"Ahh!" Percy flung himself back down on the cot, his eyes wide. The girl giggled happily behind her hand and hopped up with too much agility to be held to Earth's gravity. The girl was tall and deeply tan. Her eyes were a beautiful sea green and her hair was midnight black and wavy, reaching her waist. Her eyelashes were much too long to be real and were as black as her hair. She giggled at him again and began to adjust the sheets on his cot. Percy continued to gape at her as if she was a mirage.

"You know, I won't disappear if you touch me." She finally said, her laughter more open. She held her hand out to him, as if coaxing a wary horse, but he just continued to gape at her. She laughed and let her hand drop. "So, you're Percy?"

That snapped him out of his daze.

"How'd you know that?" he asked suspiciously. The girl just laughed.

"You talk in your sleep. Who's Annabeth?"

"I…don't know." For a second, Percy had thought he'd had something, but just as quickly it had skipped out of his reach. He sighed, depressed that he only knew his first name. "Where am I?" he asked the bubbly girl hesitantly.

"First Legion." She replied. Her good humor and sparkling smile faded, as if she wasn't allowed to laugh or show such strong emotions. Her face was a mask. No emotion showed. "Where did you come from?"

"I…don't know." Percy felt miserable. How stupid must he sound to this girl? She probably wasn't smiling because she was bored and was tired of having to take care of him and listen to him talk in his sleep and answer "I don't know" constantly!

"Hmm." The girl replied. Her face didn't budge. Her eyes were lifeless.

"What's First Legion?" Percy asked.

"It's a camp for people like you and me, Percy. It's a safe place for demigods to come and learn how to fight all the monsters in the world. Do you know about all that?"

"Yes."

The girl looked at him skeptically.

"I think I've fought some of them…my mom…" the memory slipped away from him again. But he'd caught sight of a beautiful blonde haired woman who's eyes changed color and who was serving him blue waffles. _That's different._ He though good naturedly.

The girl smiled at him again.

"By the way, I'm Guinevere Jackson."

"Jackson?" Percy chewed on his lip. That name sounded so familiar? Why? What was he missing? What was he forgetting? He was going to go crazy very soon!

"Chill, Percy." Guinevere told him, her mask gone, her eyes lit with a sparkle that looked like the sun catching choppy waves. "When we found you, just outside the borders, you were pretty beat up. Apparently, whoever dumped you here, didn't like you. Must've pissed off some god—but that's weird because gods are very detached. They hardly ever talk to their children…" Guinevere sounded sad, "Anyways, you'd been dumped on your head pretty hard. They really worked hard to make sure you didn't do anything—you've been out of it for months. I bet it was Juno!" she nodded her head sharply, "There was a peacock feather next to you."

"Juno?" Percy asked, feeling fairly bewildered, "You mean Hera?"

"Yes," Guinevere said slowly, cautiously watching him, "That's her Greek name. But we go by Roman names here, Percy, so get it down or you'll confuse people."

"Right, sorry, Guinevere."

"You can just call me Gwen, Percy." She giggled once more.

"Sounds good, Gwen."

Gwen stood up and dusted off her purple shirt. Percy caught sight of something of her arms.

"What's that?" he demanded. Feeling sheepish and rude as soon as he'd blurted it out. Gwen's eyebrows knitted together.

"What's what?" she replied looking down at herself.

"Those things on your arms."

"Oh!" she laughed and sat back down on his bed, " well, these," she pointed to her right arm that had a thick thing that could have been a sweat band if it wasn't made of leather. There were sixteen thin bars on it that looked like someone had slowly burned them into her bracelet, "symbolize how many years you've been here. Normally they're burned into your skin, but, uh, I'm an exception."

"You've gone to First Legion for sixteen years? How old were you when you first came?"

"I've been here since birth, Percy. My mom never even got to see me. She thinks I'm dead, I bet. Or something horrible like that." Gwen sniffled, Percy was very worried, this girl wore her emotions on her sleeve, " and these," she pointed to her left arm's bracelet that had a SPQR on it, "symbolizes Senatus que Populus Romanus—or the Senate and People of Rome and this," she pointed to the silver tattoo of a rearing stallion on her left forearm, "Represents my god parent. It helps me stay connected to him." Gwen blew her bangs out of her eyes, "So, Percy, how are you feeling?"

"Like a world champion." He fibbed, trying to smile but giving a horrible looking grimace instead.

"Liar!" Gwen laughed again. "You should rest, get your strength, I'll give you some ambrosia and nectar when you wake up again."

"Food of the gods…" he murmured, thinking how nice it would be to just go back to sleep…No!

He realized he'd bellowed "NO!" as loud as he could and had scared Gwen out of her wits. She had two swords out, twisting this way and that, searching and listening for the danger that had caused Percy to yell.

"Whoa! Sorry, Gwen, I'm trying to keep myself awake, I just was yelling at myself and I kinda, uh, became verbal. Chill, nothing's coming to eat you."

Gwen looked at him for a half a second then nodded shortly, her face a mask, and twisted her hands backward. It looked like she was twisting the hilts around so that she could stab at someone behind her but, to Percy's amazement, the swords vanished mid-twist. Two rings on her middle fingers glinted dangerously. Gwen saw Percy stared and smirked.

"Gift from my father, or rather my half-brothers."

He waited for her to elaborate, like he hoped the bubbly part of herself would, but the explanation never came.

"Get some sleep, Perseus, you look tired." Gwen told him stiffly, then she swept out of the long tent. His body giving him no other choice, Percy obeyed and was instantly sleeping.

When Percy opened his eyes again, his body said it still hurt. He decided he didn't want to listen to it. He sat up and slowly swung his legs over the edge of the cot. How long had he been asleep? A second? A day? A week? He didn't know. But not knowing was beginning to become a normal occurrence with him, he hated to admit.

He stood up and the ground got really close then really far away really fast. He clutched his stomach as it threatened to make the plain dirt floor more interesting.

"Whoa, there, boy!"

cool hands were suddenly on his shoulders, steadying him. Percy glanced back to see Gwen's worried green eyes. He tried to laugh it off but he ended up choking on the air.

"Musta—" cough, cough"—stood up—" cough, cough, cough" –too fast!" cough, cough, hack, hack. When he was done embarrassing himself at that moment, Gwen threw back her head and laughed. Percy felt compelled to do the same and instantly felt better.

"Well, do you think you can handle taking a tour around camp without setting someone on fire?" Gwen teased.

"I'm not making any promises." He replied seriously. He felt he had a bit of a streak of bad luck when it came to things. She laughed again.

"Well, this is the infirmary." She swept her arms out grandly around the goat skin tent. There was about fifty cots in it. Only one other bed was occupied. One camper swaddled in bandages that smelled like the inside of a dirty pair of socks. The camper had chortled at the way Gwen had introduced the place.

She waved at the injured individual then swept out of the tent, Percy in tow. As soon as they stepped foot outside the tent, Gwen's mask came back. It unnerved Percy as she lifelessly dragged him around, pointing to various things and telling them what they were.

"Uh, Gwen, can I ask you a question?"

"You already did, but go ahead."

"Are you bipolar or something? Because," Percy added quickly, " you're like really, really happy and you like show your emotions like clothes but then you like put on this mask randomly and its like you died or something." He wondered if she would hit him. To his surprise, her mask had ebbed away to show her brooding slightly over his words.

"I guess I put on a Roman Mask. You know, Romans are supposed to be fearless and emotionless. They're supposed to be cold and calculating in some ways. I guess I just get so used to having to do that to please Lupa, all my pent up feelings just come out in a tidal wave that's dangerous for anyone too close…" she sighed dejectedly, "Maybe I am bipolar."

"Why do you have to be emotionless? Sometimes it's good to show your feelings. Sometimes it helps." Percy told her. Gwen let go of his wrist and turned around so that she was totally facing him. A smile lit up her face. It was natural but so bright and cheery, Percy would have believed she was a daughter of Apollo.

"You think so Greek, Percy. It's really hysterical. Just remember, don't show your battle-winning emotions in front of Lupa, or she'll eat you."

"Huh?" he asked intelligently, his jaw hanging open.

"Lupa. Will. Eat. You. If. You. Show. Fear. Or. Emotion. Got. It?"

"Uh, yeah, just, uh, who's Lupa?"

Gwen just laughed and began to more cheerfully show him around the camp.

The camp was pretty cool, Percy had to admit. The cabins that housed the demigods each represented an individual god (he knew this already though, he didn't know how) and they were all positioned into one huge circle. There was an archery arena, a good sized stable, a library, a fighting pit that held fist fights and boxing to sword duels and spiked metal balls on chains. There was a pavilion on the edge of a cliff overlooking the sea with large Roman columns.

Gwen dragged Percy down to where the cabins were.

"I wish they could be a little more individual—like the gods! But that's Greek thinking. Roman is orderly and very, very similar. We're lucky to have the remote differences." Gwen sighed then waved a hand dismissively at the cabins. They really were all the same. They structure and size was the exact same. They were all fair sized buildings with Roman columns (Percy noticed this place really liked its Roman columns). There were some differences…like the Mars (Ares) cabin had barbed wire wrapped orderly around the columns and hog blood splattered in fairly neat lines along the visible walls. The Venus (Aphrodite) cabin had been turned pink and smelled strongly of perfume. The Ceres (Demeter) cabin had neatly trimmed grass leading to the entrance and orderly flowered vines eeking up the columns. The Neptune (Poseidon) cabin was made of a greenish sand stone that had little marine life fossils. And so on.

Everything screamed neat, clean, orderly.

Percy didn't like it.

Suddenly a memory hit him of a girl with stringy brown hair in a red bandanna. She was smirking over her shoulder at him, replying to a comment he had made, while she splattered on blood red paint and helped her cabin look ready for a vicious war. Nothing about it was neat. It was strung out quickly but with love and purpose. The memory left him but he called back to it and looked again at the daughter of Ares that looked like she would make full grown monsters run away screaming.

"What was her name?" Percy mumbled to himself. He grabbed a lock full of his hair and pulled. Gwen was watching him, a little worriedly, so he decided at least he had something and released his hair. He still came out with a few strands wrapped around his fist. Gwen laughed. Imagine that.

After showing him a few more places, she stopped and sighed deeply before turning back around to face him, a smile on her face. It was fake. It looked like a normal person's smile, but on her, it was as fake as the feet fauns woke in public. Percy decided to act like he didn't notice.

"Well, I'll show you some people to hang out with. The gods know they need someone to lessen the hurt of no Jason."

"Jason?" Percy asked.

"Jason Grace—"

"Grace?" he mumbled to himself. Why did that sound so familiar!

"Yeah, he's the son of Jupiter—"

"Zeus." Percy interrupted again. Gwen rolled her eyes and clapped her hand over his mouth. She laughed again.

"As I was saying, he's the son of _Jupiter_ and he disappeared, well, the very same night we found you. He just went to the bathroom and never came out. We all began to search for him after an hour of bathroom break. While we were looking for him, we found you." Gwen's eyes narrowed, "I wonder, I wouldn't put it past the gods to have some fun and mix some people up. But then where did you come from and where did Jason go?" Gwen flexed her fingers then realized she was squeezing Percy's face and released him. "Come on, I'll show you Jason's friends."

Percy followed her, wishing he knew where he came from. For the first time, he looked down at himself and realized there was a lot of information just by his clothes.

He wore blue jean shorts with sturdy sneakers and an orange T-shirt that said "Camp Half-Blood". Around his neck was a leather necklace with five clay beads. On his left wrist was a watch. In his pocket was a plain old ball point pen. Maybe he'd been in the middle of class when he disappeared. Nervously, Percy patted down his black hair that seemed intent to stand up in funny directions. Gwen laughed at him again.

"Chill, Perc, you look fine."

Percy nodded mutely, wondering what he would do to accidentally embarrass himself in front of Jason's friends. They were probably going to laugh themselves silly at Percy. Joy.

"Gwen?"  
>"Hm?"<p>

"What's Camp Half-Blood?"

"Dunno. I was hoping you'd be able to tell me—but seeing as you can't even remember your last name…well…" Gwen shrugged but he could tell she was disappointed. Percy felt like a great big let down. Silently, he continued to follow her back to the cabins.

He began to notice the campers. He'd been so busy trying to intake all the places and match them to his horribly empty memory, he hadn't even noticed the people. Now he realized that they were all staring at him, their faces identical Roman Masks. Percy wondered if he'd eventually become like that: cold and calculating, as Gwen had put it. He found himself inching closer and closer to her as they walked.

"Gwen, where are the satyrs?" Percy asked, a memory of a curly headed goat boy barely coming into focus at the back of his head.

"_Fauns, Percy! _They're either recruiting demigods or searching for Jason."

"Oh."

"Dakota! Hey! Dakota!" Gwen was waving. Several people threw her nasty glances from the group she was obviously addressing. One boy stepped away from the crowd that was obviously his siblings. They all had blonde hair and cool gray eyes. Dakota grinned slightly at Gwen's cheery manner then looked at Percy and his face changed. Roman Mask was back—his gray eyes glittering dangerously, studying him, choosing what his weaknesses were and how best he could rip Percy's head off. Which was kind of surprising since he was four foot eight or nine.

"Dakota is son of Minerva." Gwen told him, her Roman Mask completely gone. Percy liked Gwen more and more, especially that she seemed more inclined to chuck her mask into the bin most of the time.

"Athena." Percy automatically interpreted. Dakota's siblings hissed at him.

"He likes Greek names." Gwen told Minerva's children defensively, "Mind your manners, Smart Ones, he's new!" Grumbling, they returned their attention back to the map they were playing with. Dakota's lips twitched, fighting a smile.

"What do you want, Guinevere? Or have you just come to tease my siblings and flaunt your new friend?" his voice was deep and smooth—unusual for a fifteen-year-old. Percy felt a pang of jealousy: his voice was still cracking. Dakota smiled at him slowly, as if he knew Percy's thoughts. It wasn't a friendly smile. Percy leaned closer to Gwen, hoping to wrap her friendliness around him like a shield.

"Actually, Dakota, I had an idea that I thought you might be interested in."

"Really?" Dakota sounded like he was used to Gwen. He sounded like he really didn't care what her idea was. He didn't like Gwen very much. Percy felt his hands curl into fists. Dakota didn't like him either.

"I think that if we can figure out where Percy came from, we'll find Jason." Gwen bubbled at him, seemingly unaware at the way Dakota was pointedly trying to ignore her.

"What do you mean, Guinevere?" Dakota responded slowly, as if he just realized that she expected him to listen and respond. Percy decided he would like to rip the son of Minerva's head off. As if sensing his violent intentions, Gwen stepped in front of him, pointedly on his foot.

"Did it not cross the Wise One's minds that when Percy appeared, Jason disappeared? That when Percy disappeared, Jason appeared. I think Percy came from another demigod camp and I think that's exactly where Jason went. Help me look into it. There's one thing you can't deny, Brainiac, Percy is the key to this puzzle."

"Sure, Guinevere, I'll think on it." Dakota rolled his eyes and returned to his brothers and sisters. Percy noticed how very stiff Dakota's muscles were. He didn't get to think on it before Gwen was pulling him away.

"I don't think Dakota likes you or me at all." Percy announced to her when they were well out of the gray-eyed ones' hearing. Gwen laughed again.

"Percy, if you can remember, Minerva and Neptune have never really liked each other at all. They've always been battling for something. Minerva's children just take it upon themselves to remind me of that simple fact. Besides, even though happy people make people happy, Romans are supposed to be in control of their emotions and it especially bugs the Wise Ones, the Perfect Ones, the Rule-Conscious Ones that I just don't apply that too often to my appearance. Then, of course, everyone's depressed about Jason evaporating and Dakota doesn't really like new people. He just takes a while to trust. Don't let him get under your skin." Gwen smiled at him.

"Then why did he act like a total jerk and keep calling you Guinevere?" Percy demanded, not wanting to dismiss Dakota's actions to Gwen.

"Trying to remember that our parents really don't like each other and act all big in front of his siblings. Get him alone and you'll like him. He'll grow on you, you'll grow on him…" Gwen told him.

"Do you usually get him alone?" Percy couldn't help but ask.

"No," she laughed, "Roman's are uncertain about me, Percy. They see too much, well, Greek in me." She laughed again but it was half-hearted and forced.

"Gwen, why did your mother never get to see you?"

"Uh, another time, Percy, another time…look! There's Gwendolyn!"

Gwen was skipping to a solitary figure, dragging Percy along. As soon as he saw Gwendolyn, a pang of distrust surged through every cell in his body. He'd just met the girl and he already didn't like her! He decided he better pull himself together otherwise he'd be no better than Dakota.

"This is Gwendolyn. She is a daughter of Mercury."

"Hermes." Percy said thoughtfully. The girl raised an eyebrow at him but otherwise made no comment on his Greek use of her father's name. "Does that mean that people call you Guinevere and her Gwen?"

"No," Gwendolyn told him in a strong Georgia accent, "They call her Gwen and me Lynn. I pre-fur it that away."

Lynn was short and had some extra pudge on her frame. She was brown haired, brown eyed, and intensely freckle-fied. She wore a purple shirt like everyone else in the camp with blue jeans, flip-flops, and a straw hat. Her eye brows slanted in such a way that gave her the appearance of a very ornery person who one should hold extra tight onto valuables around. Hermes was also the god of thieves. Go figure. Percy was glad he didn't have anything on him worth stealing.

"I'm Percy." Percy announced to Lynn. She gave him a ornery smirk and he was startled to remember two boys with the same smirk and eyebrows that appeared to be twins. Stole…Like the memory of the daughter of Ares, the two sons of Hermes remained in his mind: another remembered memory. Percy wondered if Jason was having as easy of a time getting his memories back. For some reason, he doubted it. Jason probably wasn't dumped on his face and rendered unconscious for months on end. Juno or Hera or whoever she felt like being probably liked Jason more. But, Jason was the son of her husband, so…?

"Ya al-right thare, Percy? Ya kinda went outta it for a sec."

"Yeah, just, uh, got brain damage from hitting some rocks when I got here."

"I think you had that problem before you got here." Gwen told him, her wide smile showing her pearl white teeth.

"Well, I gotta go practice. I'll see ya around, Percy. Gwen." Lynn heaved herself up and left them, silent as a ghost. Percy's eyebrows rose at her silent flight, vaguely remembering some Hermes children who had absolutely no talent for stealth… Gwen was off again, intent on dragging Percy to his death. She took him to the The Pit, as Gwen told him it was called, the pit that held all the fights.

"Oh, Bobby!" Gwen called happily. Percy's eyes popped open as a hulk of a boy turned around to respond to his name. The boy could only have been fifteen-years-old, but he was so big, he could have just accidentally stepped on Percy and squished him flat, as dead as a door nail.

Bobby was well built, his purple T-shirt's sleeves ripped off, just to show that. His hair was big and curly, a section of the very back allowed to grow very long and braided. His eyes were tiny but pretty smart. Instantly the daughter of Ares came back to him but he'd made his own background for her: fire everywhere while she laughed ruthlessly and stepped on bones and skulls…

"Bobby is the son of Mars, or Ares."

"Bobby, this is Percy. We don't know who his parent is yet. I think we will soon, though." The hulk of a person was looking over Percy carefully. A small smile livened up his lips—the only break the Roman Mask allowed on normal Romans.

"Welcome, Percy. We'll have to match my skill to yours sometime."

"Yeah, sounds good, Bobby." Percy felt angry, he wanted to sock someone right in the nose. Gwen was close enough…what was he thinking! In fury, he realized a talent Bobby possessed. Bobby laughed at Percy's anger.

"Yeah, dear old dad and I can make you want to kill someone. Real good in a fight, Percy, because when they get mad, they get stupid. Basic fighter's 101. See you around." With that Bobby turned back to his group of friends.

"I don't think these people like me any more than they like you." Percy mumbled to Gwen while she began to search for Jason's two other friends.

"it's just that they sense how much Greek you have in you. Greeks are pretty cool with differences, but, well, Romans? I've already told you about their need to be the same." Percy nodded quietly.

"Who are the other two?" he asked her.

"Hazel and Reyna. Reyna was really close to Jason. He liked her, she liked him, they were always on quests together…I think they were about to really become boyfriend/girlfriend then Jason went and disappeared….i think you had someone special too, Percy."

"Really?" he asked her. He patted his hair again, wishing it would just work with him.

"Annabeth…Chase." Gwen recalled. She smiled hesitantly at him, "The way your tone got when you spoke of her…I think she'll be really happy when we can get you back to her." She swept her hair suddenly in front of her face so Percy couldn't see it anymore. "I think I see Hazel, come on."

Her voice was slightly wobbly, but Percy acted, again, like he couldn't tell.

Hazel was withdrawn, even more so than Dakota had been, not allowing even the slightest smile when Gwen came bounding up to her, Percy being dragged along like a plastic bag caught in a hurricane. She was slender and her hair was a bright red while her eyes were a pale green and brown. She wore a floppy garden hat with a daffodil in it. She made it very clear that she didn't like Gwen and Percy either. Hazel didn't utter a word to either of them, despite Gwen's vain attempts at conversation. She dragged Percy away quickly in search for Reyna, an apologetic frown on her face for Hazel's behavior.

"She really doesn't like new things or Greeks—which she believes you are—and she really doesn't like salt water because it kills plants. You know, she did the daughter of Ceres, or Demeter, if you will. She may warm up to you enough to utter a few words but she really doesn't like salt water. Maybe she'd like you better if you weren't with me." She nodded thoughtfully then dragged Percy forward yelling, "Reyna!"

A slender girl turned her attention to them. She was about fourteen, Percy guessed, and was a dead knock-out. Her hair was to her waist and was thin, straight, and the color of pure sunlight. She wore her hair in low, even pigtails. Her skin was perfectly tan, as if she had gone to a tan salon, and her eyes were a fierce caramel color. On her back was a bow and a quiver of arrows. The only flaw to her perfection was the slight puffiness of her eyes. Percy remembered Gwen saying how Reyna was Jason's girlfriend.

"Are you a daughter of Aphro—I mean, Venus?" he asked, awed.

Reyna allowed a slight smile to curl the tips of her thin lips.

"No, I am a daughter of Apollo." With that she nodded Gwen's way and left them.

Gwen huffed irritably.

"At this rate, you'll be as friendless as me."

Percy opened his mouth to say something around the lines that he was her friend when a loud horn sounded. He jumped, nearly out of his skin, and caused Gwen to go into such a fit of giggles, she collapsed on the grass, trying to control herself and breathe. Quickly, she regained control of herself and whispered, "Run." to Percy. They high-tailed it to the pavilion and made it inside just as the horn blasted again. They were the last ones, but they weren't late. Percy would have to remember that Romans enjoyed being punctual. They also probably didn't approve of surprises.

Gwen found Lynn again and told Percy to stay with her during dinner. Percy mutely nodded, remembering Herm—Mercury gave shelter to travelers. Lynn spoke to Percy only to remind him of what to do and what to grab and what to avoid. She guided him over to a large Roman column in the center of the pavilion and they shoved off a portion of food as an offering to the gods. The column had a large hole in it and Percy could see a fire crackling happily in the heart of it.

He sat down with Lynn at the overly crowded Mercury cabin and saw Gwen sitting all by herself at the Neptune table. Her hair had been swept in front of her face again so that no one would see her weakness. With a pang, he realized she'd sat alone at her table for a long time. Neptune had probably claimed her when she'd been able to walk and talk and start to fight. She'd been alone and friendless for too many years.

"How much trouble would I get in," he asked Lynn quietly, " if I went over and sat with Gwen?" Lynn glanced over at him.

"I don't think thare's any written rule that says ya can't. people just don't. Ya better hurry right back over here if Lupa tells ya ta."

"Right." Percy said. _Who's Lupa?_ He wondered again. His limbs feeling like lead, he grabbed his food and strolled over to Gwen's table in what he'd hoped to be a nonchalant way. He sat down and was instantly glad he did by the award-winning grin she granted him. He could feel the stares on the back of his head. The whole room had gone quiet as they stared at him, the new guy, the boy who dared.

Percy slowly chewed his food.

Eventually, people went back to their conversations.

Percy heard two campers get up and walk by the Neptune table.

"Oops!" he heard the fake cry of alarm. But he'd sensed the full glass of water coming down to hit him before anything else. A tugging pulled his gut, yet he knew what to do. The cup almost reached his head when he made it stop, mid-air, cup, water, and all. Gasps filled the pavilion.

"Guinevere!" some campers chided.

"I'm not doing anything!" Gwen cried in glee.

Percy winked at her then sent the glass back into his owner's face. With a roar, the camper grabbed his friend's water and smashed the cup over Percy's head. He let it happen. Slowly, he brushed the glass out of his hair. He was totally dry, like he somehow knew he would be.

"You really shouldn't waste glass cups like that, brick brain." He told the Mars camper coolly.

"Why you—"

"Rowley, calm yourself. Is that not what we teach here? To control your emotions?" the voice sent the whole room into a spasm of silence. Percy felt chill bumps race up and down his spine. He dared not look behind him.

"We should be nice to our new camper, as Greek as he is. Yes, he is Greek. I smell the stench on him." Percy felt offended. He didn't think he smelled. On the contrary, he thought he smelled like the fresh, open sea. "So, we will see how things play out with a Greek here, but he will be accepted like he is a normal Roman demigod. Perseus, your twin will aid you while you prepare for the Three Tasks."

"Twin?" Percy was so confused, he looked over his shoulder. Every face in the place looked like it had been carved from stone. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he looked at where all their attention was directed to: the huge white wolf in the center of the pavilion. A sense of understanding went through him like a shock of electricity: _Lupa_. Before the shock could settle on his face, Percy tried to rearrange his features in such a way that they didn't show too much emotion.

Lupa's lips curled back but it was more of a wolfy smile than anything. Slowly, she padded over to Neptune's table, the picture of grace. Her fur brushed against Percy's arm. It was as hot as a furnace and thick as double bronze armor.

"Greek and Roman demigods do not get along, Perseus. Sometimes, powerful enough twins cause one twin to be mainly Greek and the other to be mainly Roman. But that does not mean that they can stay together and cause everyone else to figure out the Greek and Romans' secrets. Why do you think you and Guinevere's mother never saw her?"

Percy stared at Gwen who stared right back at him. Her mask was secure, but her eyes were free—dancing and shocked, pleasantly. He swallowed hard and talked to Lupa, unable to take his eyes off his sister or speak above a whisper.

"What Greek and Roman secrets?"

"That they exist." Lupa announced. "The Greeks don't know the Romans exist and the Romans don't know the Greeks exist. Of course I knew and Chiron did too, but, we were told never to speak of this. However, giving light to your appearance and Jason's disappearance, it seems that they will become aware of our presence very soon and I really see no reason to keep it from anyone here that we have a Greek.

"The Greeks will try to contact us but, they will not be able to. They cannot pin-point our location, even if Jason were helping, and we cannot pin-point their location. We know about what areas we are in, but that still doesn't help. I trust Minerva's descendants will come up with a useful plan?" her attention was taken away from Percy and Gwen to look at Minerva's table.

Dakota stood proud and as tall as he could, the obvious leader.

"We will." He responded in his deep voice. Percy still didn't forgive him for being a jerk to his sister.

"So it is decided then. Guinevere will help you prepare for the Three Tasks. You will start them the day after tomorrow. Romans! Welcome Perseus, son of Poseidon!" Lupa sudden bellow caused Percy to jump but not as much as seeing every Roman besides Gwen, who really seemed too shocked to do anything, jump to their feet and bang their cups on their tables or pound their fists on their chests and bellow "Rah!"

As if responding to Lupa's claim, Percy felt a tingle on his left forearm. He looked down to see silver lines suddenly forming. When they were done, he had a silver tattoo of a three-pronged Trident.

_**2: Percy Forgets his Pants**_

**Percy liked Neptune's cabin after all.**

Gwen had made the inside original and wonderful and strangely familiar. In the center of the spacious cabin, their was a white marble fountain that had a stallion rearing and twisting in midair with salt water pouring out of his mouth. Percy noticed someone had delicately carved a Trident into the right thigh of the stallion. Inside the fountain, salt water foamed and waved, keeping the silver pictures carved beneath it clean. It was only Neptune, conquering Oceanus, but Percy could tell that the fact that Neptune had even sent a fountain with pictures of himself made Gwen bubbly.

The ceiling had been criss-crossed with seaweed that somehow was staying moist and green. The bunk beds had seaweed wrapped down their posts. Star fish, conch shells, sand dollars, and so many other shells were hung from the ceiling, placed around the beds, and decorated the edges of the fountain. On the very back wall was a wide window with edges that appeared to have been eroded by water. A wonderfully salty breeze blew into the cabin and a breathtaking view could be seen. Deep sea plants and urchins that glowed in the dark had been placed on the window seal and seaweed was stuck around the edges, forming a crude but perfect frame.

Sand glittered on floor—from powdery white to coral pink to corn yellow—and a treasure chests that looked like they had been unearthed from sunken pirate ships were at the ends of each bed. Percy gaped at Gwen who just blushed and said:  
>"I just added a few personal touches, that's all. Here, let's try to make you some friends, shall we?" she held up a purple T-shirt quietly. Feeling a little awkward but aware Gwen wouldn't leave his side, Percy took off his orange T-shirt that was a little roughed up and let it slowly fall to the sandy ground. He put on the purple cotton shirt and approved of the sea-breeze smell.<p>

"What should we do with my T-shirt?" he asked, looking at it on the floor in a crumpled mess.

"Keep it!" Gwen replied happily, scooping to pluck it off the floor. She dusted it off then folded it in a way that looked fine to Percy but was disgraceful for a Venus child. She put it in Percy's pirate chest. "So, considering everyone's _really _going to keep their distance from you because you're officially 'Greek', we better just start practicing. Got your sword?" Automatically, Percy pulled out his pen then felt silly. Gwen raised her eyebrows expectantly and Percy plucked the lid off of the pen. Part of him went _'Holy Fish!'_ while the other went _'This is kinda boring. Can we get to the battling now?'_. A huge celestial bronze sword had grown in his hand from the pen.

"_Anaklusmos._ Riptide." He told her proudly. He put the lid on the tip of the sword and he was just standing there with a ball point pen, grinning stupidly at his sister. She grinned stupidly back.

"What about your shield?"

Percy hesitated for a second, his mind blank. Then his hands seemed to take over for him. They pressed the dial in on the watch and then he was holding a large round shield. It was decorated with some interesting pictures, one of which was of a Cyclopes fighting a Hydra with a box of Monster Donuts held over his head. It was strangely familiar…

"Tyson." That was who the Cyclopes was. But he didn't know who Tyson was or why he was fighting a Hydra and eating donuts at the same time. But he knew the Cyclopes's name was Tyson…

Gwen brushed her slender fingers over the bronze. She met Percy's eyes.

"Did your brother make this for you?"

"My brother? Oh!" Percy remembered suddenly that Cyclopes were the children of Poseidon. Tyson was his half-brother, even though he couldn't remember a thing about him. "Yeah, I guess he did. I can't really remember." Percy furrowed his brow like looking mean enough would scare the memories back into his head. Needless to say, that method did not work. Gwen rubbed the line furiously in between his eyebrows.

"It will come all in good time. Sometimes you just have to see things to remember things. The good news is, Juno didn't steal your memories, Percy. Though, if she went through all that trouble to make sure you didn't remember anything…maybe that's why she dropped you on your head. She didn't want you to know everything, so she buried your memories so that they'll come back, little by little. I wonder if Jason's memories were stolen, or if he was just like you. Juno was his patron god, though, so maybe he had to do something, help her, to get him memories back. It would be a good reason to help her. But why erase his memory? Why switch you two? Maybe she's in trouble. Maybe that's why you still have your memories hiding in your subconscious. If she was trapped, she wouldn't be able to do too much! She would have switched you guys, stolen Jason's memories, then she didn't have enough strength to do that to you so she dumped you on your head so you'd be unconscious for most of the time! Percy, I think you got it!"

"Me? I didn't say a word!" Percy argued, staring at Gwen.

"Stop fusing, come on, we got to practice before we get into some trouble. I only have a today to get you all good and ready for the Three Tasks!" Percy was dragged out of Neptune's cabin and led to the vast green field that most people just lazed around in. Right now, no one was there. They had seen Percy and Gwen and had taken off like someone had set fire to their pants. Percy realized the Romans didn't like them because he and his sister were too Greek. He ground his teeth. He began to grasp Gwen's frustration with Roman ways. Romans were ridiculous!

Gwen let go of his hand and stepped away from him. She walked a few yards away and crossed her arms, Roman Mask on. Instantly, Percy was irritated. He hated the Roman Mask, especially on his sister. It made her cold and dull and was just not her. It made her eyes go dead and her limbs to hang stiffly by her sides.

"Control, brother." Gwen told him in a detached voice. "The Three Tasks consist of Organization, Control, and Skill as a Fighter. One will seem stupid: that will be organization. One will be painful and hard: Control, Lupa will test you physically or emotionally. One will be challenging but I think you will enjoy it: Skill as a Fighter.

"I want you to breathe, Perseus. I know this face annoys you so—it angers me as well—but that is why I am using it. If you are to be a Roman, you must not show emotions as best as you can. You must detach your mind away from your body and go to a different place. You must disregard anything Lupa says to you, no matter how true, because it does not matter. You will not be there to face music and confess all your weaknesses. You will be there to stay focused and unfazed and able to fight with a clear mind. You will be smart!" her voice was rough right there.

Percy nodded, forming his face into what he hoped looked stone-like.

"Organization…well, we'll fold some clothes and try to make things straight when we get back to the cabin…" When Gwen's mask slipped ever so slightly, allowing a thoughtful look to pass over her face, Percy fought the urge to relax and smile. He made all his muscles rigid. He forced his head up and down.

"Then there's Fighting. Ready yourself, Percy!" he hardly had time to think before Gwen had her two swords out, twirling them dangerously, and Percy was surprised to find Riptide and his shield were already out, ready to fight. Instantly, he was looking everywhere at her, noticing and analyzing every twitch her fingers gave, every half blink her eyelashes engaged in, every flaw. The trouble was, Gwen was solid. She knew her weaknesses and her defenses and had probably been working on them since she was old enough to hold a stick and wave it around. Percy felt that he didn't nearly have as many years under his belt.

He quickly tried to take in the pros and cons of his situation with his sister. Gwen was slimmer than him so he had the advantage with weight. But that meant she was probably a little quicker and had less body to protect from his offense. He was taller than her but it was only by an inch so they were on pretty even footing there. He was stronger than her. But, if she knew and preformed her moves well enough, he wouldn't be able to throw his weight and strength on her. This was literally skill against skill. Greek against Roman. Brother against Sister. He didn't like that thought.

"Stay focused, Perseus!" she yelled. And then the air was full of the sound of blade against blade, bronze against bronze. Percy was glad that he was fast and that Riptide was sturdy and so well balanced, but Gwen was just as fast and knew her bronze just as well, if not better. _A gift from my brothers…_she'd said. She'd been playing with her swords for a good long time.

Incredibly, she found ways past his defense. She slashed his shirt but he didn't bleed, he didn't get the slightest graze. His clothes could not sing the same tune, however. Percy watched Gwen take in his impenetrable skin and he watched her eyes narrow just the slightest bit. She continued to fight like he could be hurt.

She hit him hard with her blade, not worried about hurting him anymore, knocking him off balance and barking instructions at him. He felt the pain but it was dulled and even though it felt as though he was going to have dozens of bruises, he knew he wouldn't—couldn't. When he listened and preformed as she told him, Percy did better. One mistake on her behalf—she reached too much to knock him off balance again while giving him instructions and she'd left a part of herself unprotected. Percy struck hard.

Riptide came down on her arm. She moved it just before he sliced it off but there was a deep cut. Caught off balance by her quick reaction, Percy remembered every little piece of information she gave him. He jumped forward, swinging his shield around to break her nose. She flung her swords up to stop his attack—which would have worked had he not thrown all his weight and strength into the blow. It was a gamble, but he knew it would work. Gwen hit the ground hard, Percy, unbalanced, falling with her.

He put Riptide to her throat and pushed a little too hard, a thin stream of red trickled down her throat. Her eyes glittered unreadably.

"Impressive." She murmured, "But always stay balanced. You see what it did to me? Do you see what it did to you? You fell on me, perfect for a kill, but notice—" he looked behind him where her knife was, resting only a centimeter from where his soul was anchored to his body. A cold trickle of sweat fell off his forehead. "You must be very careful, Percy." She took her knife away and Percy stood up, instantly feeling bad about hurting her. Not only had he tried to slice off her arm and crush her, he'd almost decapitated his own sister.

"Don't worry about me, Percy. I feel fine. Nothing a little water won't fix." She laughed her jubilant laugh then her face settled into a curious look, "I wonder, since you took a dip in the River Styx, how Juno rendered you unconscious. She must have done something to knock you out like that. I had assumed you had major head trauma, but, now, I don't think you could have possibly had that." She smiled once more at him. "This means you were messed up in the brain before you took a dip and before you got here!"

Percy's laugh joined hers.

The rest of the day was spent trying to organize different things while Gwen attacked him from behind occasionally, testing his reflexes, barking advice, scolding him when his Roman Mask slipped up. Meal times were a whole different matter, however. Gwen smiled like nothing could possibly dampen her mood and no one dared go near them. They were much too Greek and they were the only children of the Big Three in camp.

When Gwen had told him that, Percy could have sworn a memory of a girl name Clarisse and the smell of awful toilet water danced on the edges of his consciousness. Even though Percy wanted to glare at his food because of his evasive memories, he took a deep breath and remained in Roman form. Gwen nodded approvingly.

Percy woke up to the sound of a snarl. He was on his feet immediately, sword out, ready to defend—Gwen put a hand on his arm. She had jumped out of bed too and her swords were out.

"Good morning, Lupa." She called calmly in her detached voice that told Percy she had her Roman Mask on. He followed her example, clearing his mind of emotions, which was hard and he wasn't very good at.

"Perseus, are you ready for the Three Tasks?"

"I've been ready, Lupa." Percy answered. Gwen pushed him and he realized his voice had way too much confidence for emotionless. He huffed then tried to clear his mind. He stepped out of the cabin.

Lupa lunged at him. Percy pulled out Riptide and held it defensively in front of him, his face smooth, with an effort. Lupa chuckled deep in her throat.

"I'm impressed, Greek."

With that, she began to trot away. Percy followed, his gut twisting itself into knot after knot. He glanced behind his shoulder to look at the dead camp and saw Gwen's silhouette in the doorway of Neptune's cabin. He saw her raise her slender hand in good luck then Lupa turned a corner and he could no longer see his sister. He ran while Lupa jogged leisurely. He was out of breath, but tried not to show it too much. He preoccupied himself with looking around, trying to distract himself from how early in the morning it was and how his lungs were beginning to ache in the crispy air.

That's when he realized he'd never changed into some actual clothes. He was in a thin white T-shirt and green boxers. Lupa must have heard his sharp intake of breath, because she chuckled her deep laugh.

"I was wondering when you'd notice, Greek. It's funny how your age classifies 'ready'." She taunted him, hoping to get a rise out of him. Percy just mumbled something that sounded like "moldy socks" and then wished he hadn't. No shoes or socks. No Riptide. His hair probably looked like it had been in a tornado…Percy chewed on his lip then took a shaky breath, as deep as he could while he couldn't breathe, and put on the Roman Mask. At least he had Tyson's watch.

Lupa stopped suddenly and Percy was glad to follow her example. Then he saw where they were. It was a place where the ground was flat and bare. A small stream flowed swiftly by the bare ground, sending chills up and down Percy's back. No life was in the water. No life at all. Nothing green grew by the river. Nothing grew at all. Everything was dead, as if life had been sucked clean out of it. As if something were trying to suck life out right now…he breathed slowly. He had to calm down. He had to remember Gwen's words. He would just ask Lupa what she wanted him to do. He looked over to where she was, standing much too close to the stream for comfort.

And that's when she disappeared.

She just shimmered out of view as if she hadn't really been there at all. Despair filled him. He was all alone in a horrible place.

_You're going to die._ A whispery voice said. Percy's heart beat like crazy. _You're never going to get out of here. You're going to die here in misery because you didn't do anything good. You're going to perish here in pain because that is what you deserve. You shouldn't have left Annabeth. She's so lonely now. So vulnerable. So open to attack. What if someone hurt her? Life is such a delicate thing after all…_Percy couldn't remember who this Annabeth person was, but he did not like the way the voice spoke about her. Like it was threatening her. Something in him told him to stay dormant, wait for the perfect attack. He grudgingly obeyed.

_You don't deserve to have Guinevere. She needs someone who will protect her. But you didn't. you don't. you tried to KILL her. What kind of brother are you? How could you live with yourself? What if she wasn't fast enough? What if you were faster than her? She would have died and it would have been all your fault! How does that make you feel? Do you acknowledge that you're a cold blooded killer at heart? You have no control! None! You are angry and mean and you will kill your sister! Your own flesh and blood! What are you? What monster made you? How can you live with yourself?_

Percy felt like crying. The voice was so right. Something in him urged him to ignore it. To hold on a little longer. He obeyed. He didn't know what else to do. His face remained as hard as a rock.

_YOU'RE A DISGRACE! YOU'RE A MISERABLE PIECE OF SCUM THAT IS ONLY LUCKY ENOUGH TO CRAWL ACROSS THE EARTH! YOU BETRAY YOUR FRIENDS! YOU MURDER YOUR SISTER IN YOUR MIND! YOU DESERT ANNABETH! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? WHAT CURSED YOU TO BE SO HEARTLESS? WHY DON'T YOU JUST END THE MISERY? WHY DON'T YOU JUST STOP HURTING THE WORLD, POLLUTING IT WITH YOUR HORRIBLE PRESENCE? WHY DON'T YOU JUST END IT!_

Percy opened his eyes and he was in a field. A girl was screaming at him, her voice no higher than a whisper. She was about seven-years-old and her eyes were completely black. No white at all. Her teeth were extra sharp and her nails were like claws. She had lost control trying to make Percy loose control. She had gotten into Percy's mind, making him feel useless, hopeless, horrible, deserted.

Lupa stood a few feet away from the little girl, carefully watching her break-down.

"Greek," she addressed Percy, "You have passed your first task. It is with great disappointment that I not eat you now. Go eat your breakfast with your sister. You cannot change. You said you were ready and you will remain in your Greek ready state until the end of the day, when all your tasks are either passed or you are eaten. I hope you are not too salty." Percy decided that was as good a time as any to high-tail it away from the yellow field and the crazy little girl and the wolf who was discussing to him how he might taste.

"She had Ester test you?" Gwen demanded angrily, the waffle she was about to stuff into her mouth falling off her fork and onto her syrupy plate with a _splat._

"I guess." Percy answered, relieved to stretch his muscles but unhappy that his face was still rather stiff. "What's her problem anyway?"

Gwen gave a dark laugh. Percy jerked back in surprise and his blue waffle narrowly missed his boxers. He still blushed as all the Venus girls giggled at him. The Romans had no problem with laughing at a Greek in underwear.

"She's the perfect example of why you don't intermingle within your own cabin."

"You mean…?" Percy left the sentence unfinished, feeling a little sick.

"Yeah, her mom and her dad were both from the Trivia cabin."

"Trivia?"

"Hecate, Percy, really, you need to get these names down!"

"Sorry."

"It's fine, anyways, Esther is what happens when you marry and such with a half-brother or sister. It's not pretty. She has dozens of health problems. She's actually twenty years old. Truthfully, I can't believe she hasn't died yet, she has enough malice in her to do the trick for this camp and your camp." Gwen nodded firmly. Percy decided it was safe to say that Gwen did not like Ester at all.

Lupa was waiting for Percy when he stepped out of the pavilion in his boxers with his sister. Her lip curled. That was Lupa's sneer. Percy's face, however, remained smooth. Like with the field, he followed the huge white wolf, but this time, Gwen followed them. He glanced back at her, his Roman Mask breaking so he could look at her like "What are you doing? This is _my_ second task!" Gwen ignored him, the corners of her lips pulling up ever so slightly that if Percy hadn't been watching, he would have missed. Lupa took Percy and his tag-along past the field to an edge of a cliff. A huge white marble library stood there. Tall and imposing. The sea roared down below them. It was comforting. He waited while Lupa looked at him and Gwen, as if gauging how long it would take them to die if she sunk her teeth in them.

"It seems that all the books have been knocked off their shelves and piled mysteriously at the front of the library. You and your sister will organize them, without mistake. You have exactly three hours and 3,769 books to organize. I suggest you get started." Lupa flicked her tail and loped away.

"She's joking right?" Percy spun around to demand of Gwen.

"I wish she was. Romans must be able to organize efficiently and quickly under great means of stress. It's good battle practice. Look on the bright side, Percy, you have someone. I had to build this library in six hours all by myself."

"You built this…?"

"Percy, stop wasting time!"

The library was huge. The inside was well furnished and all the long book shelves were empty. Completely. The books were all piled, as Lupa had promised, at the front of the library. Percy was suddenly grateful that he had Gwen there with him. She was like a little sun, making him look on the bright side no matter what. He had to doubt their combined ability to put the library back in order in three hours, perfectly. Neither he or Gwen was too ecstatic about organization. They would be lucky if they got a hundred books organized…

Something sharp and heavy slammed against the back of his head. He was positive that it would have cracked his skull open if he'd been a normal person and hadn't taken a dip in the River Styx (the river that Achilles dipped in to become a better and indestructible warrior). Percy glanced down at the huge book that must have weighted about twenty pounds. He looked up to see Gwen glaring at him.

"Reflexes, Percy." She scolded, "Stay bright. Stay focused. If you think we can't do this, we won't be able to. Lupa's tasks are designed to make a person look out of the box and summon inhuman strength to complete things. Most Romans can't complete all these tasks but they give it their best Roman shot and she lets them slide. You're Greek and a son of one of the Big Three. She's just itching for an excuse to gobble you up, even though she knows it's not very smart." Gwen smiled lightly at him, as though she was discussing what color sheets to put on his bed.

"Percy, here's the thing, I'll try to help you as much as possible, but I can only be a prop. You're in charge. You're the boss. It's your task and you must figure out how to solve the puzzle."

"Puzzle?" Percy demanded, "What puzzle? I just have to stuff a bunch of books into a bunch of shelves in a fairly organized manner!"

"Perseus." Gwen replied sternly, her face one of a very annoyed looking statue. "You will organize this perfectly, just as Lupa specified. You will organize about four thousand books in the way you are supposed to in three hours. If you think you can simply roam around thinking A-B-C-D, you're screwed. This is not only about organization but about _strategy._ Think about it, Seaweed Brain."

Percy jerked back, away from Gwen. A beautiful girl was wrapped in his arms. Her hair was a golden blonde and curled as if she was a princess. Her eyes were a stormy gray. "Seaweed Brain…" she said warningly, her voice warm and teasing. Every cell in Percy's body reacted to her words….

Suddenly he was back in the library, Gwen looking at him worriedly, no beautiful girl in his arms. He ached for her to come back. _Annabeth._ He realized with a sudden surety that that was the beautiful girl's name. Gwen snapped her fingers in his face. He growled at her. She seemed undeterred by his unfriendliness.

"C'mon, brother, Annabeth will be depressed if you fail and Lupa eats you." Percy nodded slowly then his brain kicked into high gear.

"Gwen, start sorting genres. We need to get those down then alphabetize each individual section. Get to work! Try to use any abilities you may have that I don't know about." He ordered. Gwen sniffed at him, apparently offended in some way. Percy didn't care. He waited for her to obey. Delicately, she spun on her heel and glanced at the huge mountain of books. She snapped her fingers.

To Percy's surprise, all the books flipped around so that they were in straight lines, cover up. He stared at his sister. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I'm manipulating the water in the ink." He could tell she wanted to say something cutting to him, but she remained silent and stiff.

"Gwen, I—"

"Time is of the essence." She interrupted his apology shortly and rudely.

He sighed and saw no other way but to agree with her.

With a few minutes of careful concentration, Percy found that he could sense the thin amount of water hiding in the thick ink of books. He started to make them float around, but he wasn't nearly as good or delicate as Gwen was. They both read every single title of every single book and put them in neat stacks according to their genre. Then they alphabetized them by their author's last names (or first, depending on how old the book was) and then began to sort them. Percy found everything dull but at least he could make the books fly around with some concentration. Several times a particularly heavy book would fall on his head. There was no doubt in his mind that Gwen purposely did it, but he just rubbed his slightly sore head and continued to sort books.

Then Percy had to fly through all the bookshelves, making sure no book was out of place. He really hated that. His dyslexia made all the words float off the page and spiral around his head. Eventually he fell over and Gwen took over. She told him she'd been learning to read tirelessly since she got to First Legion.

Percy threw himself onto the well carpeted floor. He dared himself to look around at the library and left a strange bubbling pride. The pile of books was gone. Every single book was in the correct place. Every single book was accounted for. Gwen was a life-saver and he was hungry again. _Congratulations, _he told himself, _you just organized a library! That sure deserves the Nobel Peace Prize. _He had to admit, the organized feel of everything was beginning to grow on him, but Percy knew there would be no place like home when he was plopped down into Neptune's cabin with its perfect smell, perfect looks, and his happy sister.

The doors to the library burst open and Percy was on his feet. Gwen was at his side, her whole body so stiff, he was worried she'd break a bone. Regardless to the health problems the stance would probably give him, he followed her example and stared forward blindly as Lupa padded into the library.

"You've been hard at work." She sighed. "It seems Guinevere was a very good choice for you, Perseus. She really pulled you together. Oh, well, I guess I have to admit you passed this task. I feel that everything was just as it was before I had Mars's children rip out every book. You and your sister may go eat your lunch. I will not eat you this time. It appears that you are determined to be a pup of mine. I have to admit, I do like heroes, even salty ones." Lupa wrinkled her nose and turned her back on the twins. Percy grabbed Gwen's hand and ran out of the library as fast as he could, dragging Gwen most of the way.

The whole time they ate their lunch, Gwen was whispering to him tactics and last-minute reminders. He might have been irritated had the words not been so well thought out. Gwen knew what she was doing. She was an expert in swords and battling, that was certain. Percy felt a wave of warmth for having her as a sister who cared enough to tell him little bits of useful information.

They had stepped out of the pavilion, Percy becoming quite aware that he was still in his underwear thanks to all the Venus girls giggling his way, when Lupa appeared before them. Her face was suddenly serious. Every Roman gathered around and eagerly waited for her words.

"It is time." She announced.

Percy stood very close to Gwen, hoping her experience would wrap around him like a soft, fuzzy blanket. They were standing in a place that looked like it had once been a great house. However, all that was left of it was its stone ruins. A lonely stone skeleton howling in the wind. Chills raced up and down Percy's arms and a cool wind swirled around his leg and up his boxers. He bit his lip to keep from yelping in surprise.

Gwen told him this place was called the Wolf House.

She said that Roman demigods were sent here and here they were told by Lupa that they must complete the Three Tasks to be a true Roman. They must complete these Three Tasks and become her pup or they will be eaten. Death or baby-hood.

"Perseus, ready yourself. It is time for battle." Gwen held out Riptide in pen form. She must have taken it out of his shorts. Gratefully, he took it. "Remember, protect yourself. Don't get off balance. But, most importantly, stay focused! Don't let emotions or taunts get in your way!" Percy slowly nodded. His tongue felt like it had swollen in size and was a giant pickle in his mouth. He was disappointed it didn't taste as good as a pickle. It just tasted like his tongue.

"Romans!" Lupa announced, "And Greek." Laughter echoed around the Wolf House, "Perseus Jackson will complete his third and final task here, in battle, against Robert Fulmer. Normally a newbie would fight our best, which is Guinevere, but seeing as they are twins and she has taught him, this would not be a fair fight." Percy glanced at Gwen who had become quite interested in how her purple shoes were so clean, "The battle is over when one is knocked to their feet and is unable to get back up." Percy noticed she didn't say anything about it being bad to kill someone. He was very glad he could only be killed in one spot…Bobby grinned at him from the other side of Lupa, apparently glad that she hadn't said anything about it not being allowed to maim or kill or beat the pulp out of his opponent. Percy readied himself to take on his mammoth sized partner.

A fury welled up inside him and threatened to burst and overtake him. Percy fought it back, realizing, with a whole new wave of his own fury, that he'd forgotten that Bobby, like his father, could make a person feel very, very angry. _"It makes them stupid."_ Bobby had told him when they'd first met. That's why Gwen had told him to remember how to control himself. She had wanted him to stay in control because it was bad to let emotions totally fight a battle but mainly to keep his feelings at bay so that the unnatural, Bobby-induced anger couldn't leak through too and cause him to fail and be eaten. Percy was sure that with a few crunches, Lupa would find his weak spot, his Achilles heal. And then Gwen would watch as her brother was chomped up by giant Roman wolf. He refused to subject her to something like that. He refused to loose.

"Begin!" Lupa barked, jumping out of the way. Riptide was already uncapped and Tyson's shield was out. Bronze and bronze clanged together almost musically. It made him think of yesterday when Gwen had been teaching him…all her scolding came back full force. Percy's ADHD kicked in and he saw everything about Bobby. Unlike his sister who had been utterly flawless, Bobby had some flaws that Percy was confident he could work in his favor to bring him down with.

Percy thrust and jabbed and ducked and blocked and never stepped in such a way that threatened to get him off balance. The only real problem with fighting Bobby was his uncanny ability to make his opponents' anger run wild. Percy was fighting against the horrible urge to just let his fury fight the fight but he knew he would sign a death warrant that way. Bobby wasn't as good as his sister, but he was definitely good and a fair challenge.

Percy lept forward, taking Bobby by surprise, and attacked him with a series of quick jabs that Bobby deflected with a roar of rage. Percy was just a little bit faster than Bobby. But Bobby was also the god of war's son. Battle was Bobby's middle name.

"It probably makes you mad, huh?" Percy challenged through clenched teeth, fighting and dancing away from Bobby's huge sword when its owner tried to use his massive strength and weight against Percy.

"What?" Bobby demanded, his eyes watching every move Percy made.

"That my sister's better than you. That my sister is a better fighter than you, a son of Mars. Do you disgrace your father, Bobby? Is your father ashamed that you can't compete with a girl?"

"ARG!" Bobby snarled. He lunged forward. Percy side-stepped and swung his sword forward. Bobby didn't have a chance. Percy heard the sound as the nose crunched under his shield. He slammed the flat part of his sword against the back of Bobby's skull and Bobby collapsed in an unconscious heap at Percy's feet.

"It is done." He announced coolly. He glanced around at all the shocked faces. Only one was not shocked. Gwen was beaming at him. Literally radiating her joy and pride. It made him think of a mother watching her little boy do something semi-important and her twittering away, "That's my son! That's my baby!"

Gwen looked over to Lupa expectantly. The huge wolf nodded ever so slightly. Everything happened at once. Percy was thrown on a huge shield and held high in the air. He was very aware that he was still in his underwear. He was vaguely aware that people were uttering a bunch of words in a language he didn't understand at all.

Then he was next to Gwen again. She had a hold of his arm firmly and made him feel protected. He had two leather sweat band things around his wrists, just like Gwen. One was plain. The other had SPQR on it. That one was pushed up more on his arm so his watch could still fit on his wrist.

"Romans!" Lupa yelled. Everyone looked at her. "Welcome your new brother! Perseus Jackson! Son of Neptune!"

_**3: Gwen Shares her Soul**_

**Percy was having demigod nightmares. **Demigods usually had dreams that told them about the future or what was happening at that moment with their enemies or their friends. Usually they meant trouble.

Percy was in a dark place that looked like a cave. The ground rumbled slightly, as if a giant was sleeping. But, for some reason, Percy knew that no one was sleeping in the bone-lined cave. He could hear a horrible weeping. Slowly, he searched the cave until he found its source. He gasped.

The man was bent over as if he might have been bowing. His hands were curling and uncurling, uprooting the dirt as he wept. He had big, blonde curls and his skin was lily white. Around his waist was a pink loin cloth and his wings were folded tightly against his back. This was a god. Percy didn't know which one, but he knew it was a god.

"Please!" the god choked out, his voice sounding like harp's music, "Please! Give her back! Please!"

A deep, rumbling laugh caused the whole cave to shake horribly and several skulls to come unglued from the wall and fell down.

"You will get Psyche when you deserve her. You must complete a few chores for me, little god."

"I will not betray the gods." The minor god's voice was strangled but defiant. A sudden screaming filled the air. Percy froze, his heart pounding a million miles a minute. "NO! STOP HURTING HER!" the god roared furiously. The screaming declined to a miserable whimpering.

"You better give me something useful to work with…or we'll see how much pain your wife can take!" the evil voice threatened. The screaming began again, just as horrible as the first time.

"No! Please! Stop! I'll do anything!" the god whimpered. The screaming stopped and the horrible laughter started again.

"Tell me something useful, little god. Tell me something I could work with, or—"

"No! Please! Jason Grace and Percy Jackson! They are Greek and Roman demigods! Hera switched them when she was captured…"

The dream changed.

"We cannot allow Esther to grow anymore. It's been twenty years and she still looks young. Much too young."

Percy couldn't see the owner to the voice. Whispers were everywhere. Ghosts floated around. He shivered.

"Tomorrow she will become immortal at noon. If that happens, she will gain an incredible amount of power. Her soul and mind are rotten and evil, we must protect ourselves. We must pull her out of her world." A deep voice said.

"Kill her?" the first voice, a rather bored voice, slurred. "Your own brains have been turned to mush. To kill someone like Esther when she is almost immortal will require a place holder. Someone will have to leave the Underworld for Esther to get in."

"Alright, so that's not a problem. Let's kill her now—"

"Calm yourself! The only souls worthy enough to hold her place have been dead for many years. They will require another soul to latch onto. To feed off of until their own soul can independently sustain life. This could kill the host soul which would mean the first soul would come back to the Underworld. We need a soul that is strong. We need a soul that can heal quickly."

"One of Poseidon's brats?"

"Perfect. Guinevere will be the one. Tomorrow, it will be done."

Percy woke up screaming. He fell out of bed. Instantly, someone's arms were around him, hugging him, calming him. He sighed, listening to the beat of the waves against rocks, the feel of the powder smooth of the sand, the comfort of having someone just sit there next to him and hold him, not caring how old he was. It was almost like a mother.

Gwen didn't ask him why he'd jumped out of bed, screaming like a baby. She just sat with him, whispering calming things, reminding him to listen to the sound of the waves…he had to warn her that someone was going to try to latch onto her soul and suck her dry, but he couldn't focus while she held him tight. He finally had no choice but to slip back into sleep. This time though, no demigod dreams plagued his mind.

In the morning, Gwen was already dressed and combing her hair while perched on the edge of the fountain their dad had given her. Percy got to his feet and stretched as far as he could. He sat down next to her sleepily and glanced into the water. Instead of seeing Neptune right away, he caught his own reflection. He looked like a mess. His hair was sticking up in all different directions and his eyes had some light but definitely present circles under them. Then he saw Gwen's reflection. She was as gorgeous as usual, not looking the tiniest bit tired even though she must have spent half the night calming him down.

The strange thing was, when he saw their reflections, side by side, Percy felt almost handsome. He and Gwen really were twins. They both had the wavy black hair, the naturally tan skin, the height, the sea green eyes, the long lashes…if Percy were turned into a girl, he'd look just like Gwen. When Percy was just looking at himself, alone, he saw all the flaws, all the bad things, just like any old person did. But when he was put next to Gwen, he could only see the good things. If he looked really close, he could see the flaws he had, but they didn't seem as important, they didn't seem to really matter.

Gwen radiated a brilliance Apollo alone could barely outshine.

Something at the back of Percy's head nagged at him. He tried to remember what it was, who was in danger…but he'd slept since he'd figured it out. He decided that if he couldn't remember it, it couldn't really be all that important. It was probably just a memory, trying to pry free, to make him remember some other Greek demigod.

"Ready to go have some blue waffles?" Percy asked in good spirit.

"I am," Gwen laughed, "But you aren't. Why don't you try for some actual clothes or do you just want to make the Venus girls fawn over you even more? I swear, if I hear one more word about how hot you looked in your boxers, someone's going to have an unplanned haircut. And it won't be pretty!"

Gwen taught Percy some new sword moves but she dominated him continually. It was a rare and surprising occasion when Gwen actually made a mistake and she usually was quick enough to block or roll away from his offensive attack on it. Gwen made training seem like real life fighting. It should be like that but because Percy couldn't actually bleed (unless someone hit his Achilles heel then he would just bleed and die like someone had stabbed him straight in the heart) Gwen attacked him with full force, not worried in the least about hurting him. Percy was surprised that he couldn't get bruises—she certainly hit him hard enough.

Usually the duel ended with Percy flat on his back, sword in Gwen's hand, shield knocked about fifty feet away from him. Sometimes they had to call it a tie when meal time came around. Then occasionally Percy managed to get the best of his sister and knock her to the ground. It always resulted in a lot of blood spilt on her behalf since Percy usually got so focused he would forget that Gwen was his living, delicate sister and not an immortal enemy.

That day, it seemed as if the duel was going to be a tie. They'd been fighting for two hours straight with no let ups and lunch was beginning to threaten to end their battle. Percy was getting a little worried because his arms were starting to ache and Gwen showed no signs of feeling the wear of the fight, of course, Percy didn't allow his weakness to show either. He was getting pretty good at the whole "don't show your emotions" thing even though the actual Roman Romans could do it flawlessly for days on end. Not even Gwen could pull that stunt off. Well, she actually might, if she wanted to try. But she didn't which was perfectly fine with Percy who still got irritated when she went all disconnected and addressed him as "Perseus".

It was about that time when the screaming started.

"Stop!" Gwen ordered him. He pulled Riptide and his shield back and listened to the wails of pain. He didn't realize Gwen was gone until he saw her running away from him, toward the screaming. Percy scrambled after her, weapons ready. She ran until she came to Trivia's cabin. There she joined the ranks of the frightened Trivia siblings. Percy pressed up against her, as if fused to her side, refusing to let her venture into their terrified mass alone.

They let Gwen pass easily. Inside the ring was Gwen and Percy's least favorite person: Esther. She was writhing in pain around on the ground, screaming curses and insults.

"Go get Lupa!" Gwen screamed behind her to Esther's frightened siblings. Then she did something that condemned her. She touched Esther's shoulders and whispered "Esther?" Percy was frozen as the little girl's face flew up and she glared at Gwen with blood red eyes. Her little clawed hands grabbed Gwen's forarms and Percy watched, stunned, as his sister's skin began to smoke and burn.

"They think they can kill me?" she spat at Gwen, acid green spittle slipping down her chin in a very gross way. "Help me, Guinevere! Save me! Please don't let them take me!" then the loudest scream of all shook the camp. Ester melted, right there, while clinging to Percy's sister. Her liquid remains seeped into the earth, making a terrible sucking noise. Before anyone could react, something black soared out of the ground. It rocketed upwards until in turned around and flew back down to earth, back towards the shocked demigods.

That was when Percy remembered his dreams.

"NO!" he bellowed. He was only a foot away from Gwen but as he leapt forward to shield her from the spirit, it was already where he wanted to be. It flew into Gwen's heart, knocking her backwards. She was thrown back a good twenty feet. She lay on the ground, still and dead looking. "GUINEVERE!" Percy bellowed. He was by her side in a moment's time. Her green eyes stared at nothing. A horrible feeling raced through every vein in his body. He refused to say that the spirit had killed her.

His heart aching horribly, he grabbed her limp body and began to run with it. He was back at their cabin, the closest place to sea water. He jumped into the three foot deep fountain and let her body float completely under water. The cut Percy had given her healed. Gwen's hand twitched ever so slightly. Slowly, Gwen's green eyes met Percy's. They were dazed but alive. He jerked her upper half out of the water so that he could crush her with a hug. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt rather misty eyed. He really couldn't imagine life without his happy sister who was the only demigod who could whip his butt at sword duels.

She screamed a long, horrible scream.

Percy nearly jumped out of his skin as he released her from his hug, worried he'd gotten too carried away and had started crushing her. But her face was full of so much pain, he realized it wasn't a too tight hug that had caused her cry. The spirit was ripping her apart. He dunked her back into the water. It didn't seem to help—only speed up the process. She curled herself up in a ball and screamed underwater. Then there was something dark on her back. Like something was growing out of her.

Percy realized that's exactly what was happening.

Another form was pulling itself out of Gwen, taking bits and pieces of his sister to grow and live. Percy pulled Riptide out of his pocket. His pen always returned to his pocket after a few minutes. He would kill the person as soon as they were out of his sister. If they thought they could just cause her pain and use her body as a free usage pile, they didn't know him, her, or their father. The person was out of Gwen. It was a girl and she was struggling underwater, trying to breathe but unable to inhale the water.

Percy brought Riptide above his head. Gwen was in his face, her eyes frantic, tears racing down her cheeks. In surprise, he dropped Riptide on his head and it fell into the water. Gwen pulled the girl out of the water and she sputtered out water and sucked in air. Percy glared at the girl.

"Enough, Perseus." Percy turned his fury to his sister but he couldn't stay mad. She was thin and weak and hurting. Her face was pale but as he watched, it was slowly returning to its normal color thanks to the salt water she was in. "It's not her fault. They made her come. They just ripped her out of the Underworld and sent her up here."

"She didn't have to try to rip you apart!" Percy tried to snarl. It came out as a pleading whisper edged in accusation.

"It's something spirits naturally do, Percy. If they are allowed to live again, it's just something in their nature that tells them to. Even if they are the kindest spirit, they completely loose control. At least they chose me, a person who has a loving brother and a quick healing ability." Percy knew she'd laid the words out like that purposely, but he didn't care, they still got him, like Gwen had known they would. He hugged her, as gently as he could, wrapping his other arm around the other girl. Both were fragile and hurting.

Slowly, he let go of them both. The girl was just a little bit shorter than Gwen and looked to be about fifteen. Her skin was a rich olive color and her eyes were a pitch black. Her hair was bone straight and a shiny black and it went to her elbows. She was a quiet looking girl and Percy swore he knew her from somewhere. His eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes widened worriedly and she ducked her head, hiding a little behind Gwen.

"Percy," Gwen warned, "Be nice."

"Sorry, you just look so familiar." Percy laughed lightly, trying not to look so threatening, "Do you remember who you are? Or do you have amnesia like me?"

"Everything's a little blurry…" she whispered. "But I remember some things…I remember my name, my brother, my mother…a little bit of my father." She squinted at Percy, "I think I kind of remember you…but you were younger…" she shook her head, "I don't know."

"What's your name?" Percy whispered.

"Bianca di Angelo."

Percy suddenly remembered a little boy who looked just like Bianca. He was furious at Percy, screaming at him, tears streaking down his cheeks. It was snowing. Percy had told him his sister had died.

"Your brother in Nico." Percy whispered.

"How'd you know?" Bianca quietly asked.

"I did know you two. You died and I had to tell Nico. He was so mad."

Bianca and Percy stared at each other.

"Percy," Gwen slowly stood up, "Go away. Bianca needs some actual clothes." For the first time, Percy looked at what Bianca was wearing. It was like a black mist was swirling around her like a dark dress. Deciding that wouldn't last too much longer, he nodded quietly and stepped out of the water and walked out of the cabin. A flock of demigods swarmed him. Then Lupa was next to him.

"Did the spirit kill Guinevere?" she demanded, there was something wild in her eyes.

That's when Percy really realized that Lupa seriously meant that either you were eaten or her pup. She might actually eat a weak Roman, but she cared about her pups. She cared if a dead person killed Gwen because Gwen was her baby. She'd had Gwen since she was a newborn. The bond of a mother to her child was incredible. It made Percy wonder how much pain she had when one of her pups was injured or killed in battle or had just died of old age. She'd raised thousands of heroes and watched most of them die.

He realized he was just staring at the huge white wolf who was beginning to grow more and more frantic with his wide-eyed silence.

"Gwen's fine." He murmured reassuringly.

"And the spirit?"

"She's fine too. Her name is Bianca. I know her from Camp Half-Blood." Percy was feeling pretty dazed now that he could actually catch his breath. He'd just seen a girl grow out of his sister and nearly kill her. Now he could understand the mysterious voices' reasons for choosing Gwen and not someone like Lynn or Dakota. It still made him mad. If Percy hadn't been there, Gwen probably would have died.

"We're okay, Lupa." Gwen stepped out of Neptune's cabin. She looked just like her normal self, if not a little bit paler. Bianca was in a pair of jean kapris, one of Gwen's spare T-shirts, and a pair of black sneakers. She was a bean pole but looked happy and healthy while she held onto Gwen's hand. Lupa snarled but Bianca looked on in silence, not flinching like Percy knew she was doing mentally. How was Gwen so good at preparing people to meet Lupa? It truly impressed him. If it was left up to him, he'd probably give the wrong advice accidentally and get everyone eaten.

Percy stepped away from the staring people and found his place on Bianca's left, protecting and standing with her. Lupa's lip curled but she surveyed Bianca with indifferent black eyes.

"You say you knew her from your Greek camp?" Lupa demanded of Percy, her voice completely Roman.

"Yes. My friends and I tried to recruit them. We lost Annabeth…" Percy looked up at the sky, as if his memories were written there for his convenience. "Then someone came to help us…but I don't remember who."

"The Hunters of Artemis." Bianca whispered.

"Diana saw you and she didn't send you to me? Did she not smell your Roman blood?" Lupa demanded fiercely. Bianca shrank away. Percy and Gwen both tightened their grip on her hands and she relaxed just a little bit, standing even with them again.

"She had other more important things on her mind." Percy said, wishing his memory would actually be more useful.

Lupa was calming down, breathing deeply.

"You smell so dead, little Roman." She told Bianca sweetly. "It throws off my smell." Lupa stepped even closer to Bianca and Percy squeezed her hand tighter. It was ice cold. "But you're Roman. You're demigod blood pulses every drop of pure Roman. But your smell, what little I can get, is Greek. You were raised by a Greek god. Your brother must be Greek. How interesting." Lupa's nose wrinkled at Bianca, displeased with the blindness she suddenly had for the demigod. "Well, considering you'll be stuck to Guinevere for a little bit until your soul can completely sustain life without sucking her soul, I suppose you may remain in the Neptune cabin, regardless of who your god parent is, until that time comes. I can't wait for Neptune to figure out you're in his cabin and drown you. Then maybe he'll let me eat you. You could be rather salty though. Guinevere, get Bianca ready for the Three Tasks she'll face in one week. I don't think she's had much practice at being a demigod. Dismissed."

"I think she likes you." Gwen told Bianca. Percy glanced at his sister. Soul sucking was taking a toll on her brain he decided.

Gwen had a special way of teaching everyone. Her various techniques differed with various individuals. Because Percy was good and had experience and was almost impossible to kill, Gwen taught him roughly, slapping and scolding to mold him in the right direction. To the contrary, Bianca was delicate and shy and unsure and she had close to no experience with any kind of weapon. Gwen taught her with gentle words and slow movements, not afraid to repeat anything a bazillion times. She moved through different weapons, each time studying Bianca to see which ones she best fought with. She was okay with a knife (that meant she'd picked one up and had maybe thrown it at someone). Her archery was raw (that meant she had potential but was awful right now). Percy stayed with the girls the whole time, feeling like their designated protector.

Though Gwen would never actually admit it, she was still very weak after Bianca's rebirth. Percy could beat her much easier and Gwen could only go for certain lengths of time against him until her eyes started to water and Percy had to catch her when she collapsed. He made her take short naps throughout the day in Neptune's fountain. Whenever she got up, she was perky and her usual self for about half an hour. Then she wore down from bad to worse. Percy could tell Lupa was worried about her.

Bianca was awkward with everything, very nervous she'd mess something up or disappoint Gwen. Percy couldn't say he blamed her though. People just didn't like Bianca. It wasn't like with Percy or Gwen that they were half Greek. It was like they were afraid of her or something in her blood caused them to keep away from her and glare and whisper. He noticed that people were always a little friendlier (meaning they didn't whisper or glare obnoxiously) towards Bianca when Gwen was next to her.

It was killing Percy that he couldn't remember who her godly parent was. It was right on the tip of his tongue, dancing on the edges of his brain…Bianca sat at the Neptune table and ate with everyone and pretty much blended into the shadows that seemed very keen to bend towards her. After dinner, like usual, the Neptune cabin skipped out on "family time".

"Family time" was when all the cabins gathered together in the middle of the huge green field that was in the circle all the cabins made together. It consisted of a small fire and Roman stories about bashing Greeks together or funny tales about people they didn't like. Gwen had always skipped out. Percy, finding the stories very offensive, skipped out too. Bianca followed their lead because no one else liked her and she was Greek-raised. Whenever "family time" came around, it made Percy think of a huge bon fire that changed color depending on the mood of the company. The cabins all sang and laughed and roasted marshmallows. Everyone was literally a great big family.

Percy missed that picture.

It got better when Percy told Gwen and Bianca about what the Greeks did and Gwen decided they would do that too. Whenever "family time" came around for the Romans, the Neptune cabin would leave the pavilion and walk down to the sea where they sat by the sea and Gwen pulled out several glow in the dark urchins. And they would sit by the urchins and enjoy the waves (Bianca even enjoyed the tranquility) and talk about the day and the Greeks and Bianca's progress.

That was one thing Percy was very proud of. His adopted sister, as he chose to call her now, was getting more and more skilled at archery. Gwen couldn't teach her well, only point out the basics. So Reyna was volunteered unwillingly to help her. Gwen stayed right with them to keep the peace and whisper words of encouragement. Percy stayed right with his two sisters and glared harshly at any Apollo guys who were bold enough to eye Gwen's legs in her short cutoff shorts. He enjoyed looking intimidating and growling in his throat and occasionally pulling out Riptide and sharpening it. Gwen ignored him, kicking dirt at him sometimes when she thought he was getting carried away.

All in all, Percy was proud to call her his adopted sister when she managed to only grimace once at a Trivia camper's accusations, organize all the maps (color coded by date and place) in Minerva's cabin, and become the fifth best archer and exceptional knife-man.


	2. Chapter 2

_**4: Reyna Gets Love Struck**_

**It had been a beautiful day **until Bianca and Reyna tried to kill each other.

Gwen had been trying to push herself to stay afloat while fighting Percy. Bianca, as usual, was watching them with fearful eyes as Percy drew blood (every single time) and tried to kill Gwen. His twin had finally collapsed and Percy carried her back to the Neptune cabin for a soak in the fountain. Bianca and Percy marched to the archery arena because he and Gwen had practiced a little longer than planned.

Right away, things went wrong.

Reyna instantly snapped at Bianca who instantly recoiled into Percy and stabbed him, accidentally, with the arrow she'd just pulled out of her quiver. He couldn't bleed or get a scratch but his purple shirt tore slightly and Reyna snarled at Bianca for that too.

"Reyna, chill, it was an accident. What's wrong with you today?" Percy demanded, pleased when he saw the crestfallen faces of the Apollo guys who'd been looking forward to seeing his sister's perfect legs.

"I don't know!"

Practice didn't go easy either.

"Your arm isn't straight."

"It's as straight as it's going to get."

"It's not straight!" Reyna insisted.

"It's always like this!"

"You can't do anything right, can you, little misfit?" Reyna demanded.

Percy could only watch in open mouthed silence.

"I am not a misfit, you freak!" Bianca yelled back.

"Your parent won't even claim you!"

"He's busy!"

"Admit it! He doesn't want you!"

"Shut up!"

Both had arrows out, their bows forgotten on the ground. The sharp tips were aimed carefully at the other's neck.

Percy was still stunned to immobility.

"STOP!" Gwen pulled their arrows out of their hands. It seemed like the curtain of suspense had been suddenly lifted. Bianca burst into tears and collapsed at Gwen's feet. Reyna sniffed, tears in her eyes, and stormed away, bow left on the ground. Percy could move but he really didn't want to. He never had realized how much Gwen brought tranquility to everything. He'd never realized how much Bianca made people uncomfortable and irritated. He'd never realized how sensitive Romans really were.

Gwen suddenly had him by the arm and was pulling him up. She already had Bianca up. She was clinging to his sister, bawling. Her mask secure and her eyes tight, Gwen hauled them back to the cabin. Bianca was dumped in bed with the order to sleep and Percy dumped into the fountain with the order to "learn how to react". Gwen was furious but looked particularly frail and breakable.

"Someone could have died!" she hissed at him, "Percy, you need to be able to diffuse a situation! Bobby can heighten the emotions but can he diffuse them? Can he make everyone happy and calm? No! he can only make people want to rip each others' throats out and give into their deepest, most wicked desires of rage and fury! You have to learn that emotions are present everywhere, Percy! Even though the Romans absolutely refuse to show that they have them, they do. They hurt inside like me or you. They laugh inside like anyone. They are almost more sensitive because they have so much they hold in, it just builds up until they explode."

Gwen exhaled through her nose, trying to look angry. But her skin was pale and thin and was stretched over her bones. Her eyes were empty and had deep purple bruise like circles under them. Her mouth was twisted in such a terrible frown, it broke Percy's heart. He patted the water next to him and she nodded reluctantly, tears slipping down her cheeks. She curled up next to him and instantly she began to look more like Gwen. It was funny to Percy, as used to it as he was, that they were sitting in three foot deep water and they were as dry as if they'd been sun bathing. He chuckled a little bit.

She glanced at him then rolled her eyes. Percy knew she thought he was laughing about what he would do to the Apollo guys if they looked at her again. That thought made him laugh even harder. Gwen splashed water at him.

The Neptune cabin had a very nice nap through lunch and the afternoon activities. Percy was the first to wake up. He and Gwen had slipped totally into the water and were enjoying the perfect salt water feel. Bianca had stripped her bed of its sheets and had set up a little cocoon next to the fountain. Her upper body was leaning over the edge of the fountain, her black hair completely wet. Percy looked around the cabin then studied the horse spewing its mouth full of water and that's when he saw the letter.

It was nestled into the creases of the horse's marble hair, right in between the ears. He pulled it free (it instantly was no longer wet) and opened it.

_For Guinevere. It will keep her safe._

He instantly knew it was from their father. Poseidon or Neptune, whoever he was in the mood to be at the moment, had sent Gwen a gift to help her. Percy smiled. Though he'd been totally neglected and ignored, it was like by giving Gwen a gift, Percy had gotten one as well. He turned the envelope over and a necklace fell out. It was moist, even to Percy's hands, which was weird since things dried out when he touched them.

The necklace was made of the stem of seaweed and had small seashells and starfish braided elegantly into it. A hand touched his arm. Wordlessly, he gave Gwen the letter then the necklace. Tears built up in her eyes then she brushed them away, putting on the necklace. It made her whole face glow with glee and her skin look like a golden brown. It looked like every good feature had been magnified so that it was more noticeable and beautiful. She would be the pride and joy of the Venus cabin if she belonged to it.

Percy ground his teeth when he thought of what the guys would think about his sister. He wished, for the smallest second, that he could have been the son of Mars so that he could really look intimidating and threaten to make any guy's neck a little shorter and little crooked. He smiled but brushed the thought away. He would look dangerous enough as a son of Neptune. Apparently his evil grin was showing because Gwen's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She shook her head, pitying the victims to his plot.

"Bianca…" her voice was light and sweet, just like Gwen. Bianca looked up as Gwen touched her. Instantly, her hair was no longer wet. For a split second, Bianca smiled back at Gwen and Percy and everything was good and right in the world. And then Percy watched the dark cloud descend over her face as she remembered the events that had occurred previously to their nap.

"Why do people shudder when I pass, Gwen? Why do the Pegasus cry and buck if I get within a fifteen foot radius of them, Percy? Why do I make people mad by just standing next to them? Why do people want to die or kill one another? What's wrong with me?" Bianca was sobbing. Percy fidgeted uncomfortably in the fountain. Gwen, however, was out and had her arms reassuringly around the weeping figure.

"It's not your fault, Bianca. Whoever your father is will explain this. It's just his nature to cause people to shudder and move away. You aren't like that, B. You're good. But just like Percy and I are totally cool," Gwen winked at Percy, "the Romans shudder away from us because we're half Greek."

"Percy doesn't like me either." Bianca sniffled. "I can tell. Whenever you're not around…he shudders just like the rest." Percy jerked back, hitting his head on the horse's front hooves. Gwen threw him a dirty look. He hadn't realized Bianca had ever noticed. He was rarely alone with her but there was just a bit of an uneasy feeling that made him shudder slightly. He really did like Bianca but unless Gwen was there…

"B," Percy said, his voice hurt, "I love you to death, you know that. It's just what you do to people. Gwen makes everyone happy and at peace…you just have a different kind of feeling…But Gwen's right, it has no effect on the type of person you are." He summed up quickly. His stomach rumbled loudly. He chewed his lip.

Bianca glanced at Gwen's honest face then at Percy's vocal stomach then smiled slightly. Percy knew Gwen was working at some major mood magic to make Bianca feel better about herself and everything else.

Percy piled his plate extra high and gave extra food to Neptune for the lunch he missed and because he was so happy that he was eating.

"A growing _boy_ needs his food." Gwen whispered into his ear.

"Ha, ha." He stuck his tongue out at her. Bianca smiled slightly at their word trade and clung to Gwen's T-shirt nervously. Reyna completely ignored them. Percy could see that her shoulders were incredibly stiff. So stiff, that they would put a statue to shame. He scowled at the Apollo table who meekly looked on at them. Every other Roman stared as they sat down at their table. They mainly stared at Gwen.

Apparently they had not realized her incredible pull on emotions.

Percy had just moved to his desert and was taking a break to inhale his blue coke (he really didn't understand his strange obsession with blue foods) when Reyna stood up from her table and walked swiftly over to Neptune's table.

Percy and Gwen were on the side that could watch the other tables. Bianca was on the blind side. She could only see Percy and Gwen. But as Reyna approached, she hunched her shoulders slightly and her face pinched unpleasantly. Gwen's arms tensed and he could feel the tranquility radiate off of her. Reyna looked up sharply at Gwen who simply inclined her head. Percy had to grin.

"I wish to speak to you in private." Reyna said stiffly to Bianca, her Roman stubbornness refusing to give into Gwen's powerful peace vibes. "I wish to apologize for my actions earlier today."

_Not good._ Percy's mind warned. This was Reyna under Gwen's vibes. What would happen if they were alone and Reyna decided to stab Bianca or Bianca fought back and hurt Reyna? What if one of them killed the other? So many sequences of different cat fights flashed through Percy's mind, he missed Bianca's response. He only saw her stand up and follow Reyna out of the pavilion. He jerked his head towards his sister, hoping she would do something to stop a possible blood bath, but Gwen's face was strained. She had decided it wasn't her place to interfere.

They had walked out of her area of control and Bianca had some serious negative vibes. Reyna was so tense, Percy was worried for her spinal posture. Gwen's food was left forgotten next to her as she anxiously drummed her fingers on the sandstone table. She stared at them, as if she might have enough power to protect them all the way over at the cabins.

Percy's own food was forgotten as he stared at the figures. And that's when everything went very wrong.

Gwen was running again but Percy ran with her. They were both screaming, yelling words that didn't make any sense, fragments of thoughts that they couldn't finish. Reyna was on top of Bianca, an arrow out, trying to kill her. Bianca was holding her back with all her strength. Her skinny little arms shook violently. Then Reyna jumped up off of her and Bianca gaped at her, surprised not by her sudden decision to not kill her but by the look on her face.

It was a dreamy look. A look that screamed "I'm in love." It was a look only Venus could make a person do. Percy stumbled in surprise but he was still running, like Gwen. They were closing in, only a few yards away from the duo. When Reyna dropped her arrow and threw her bow off into the grass, Percy started to seriously panic. Reyna was so protective of her bow, she polished it every hour (no joke) and wouldn't like ANYONE so much as look at it funny (true story, he knew from experience). And there it was, thrown to the muddy ground like she really thought it was a muddy old piece of seaweed.

"REYNA!" Gwen screamed.

Apollo's pride and joy was running and boy could she run. She was like a gazelle, running and leaping and looking like she could have been the sun. Percy pushed himself even faster. They could catch her! He chanted to himself, but when she jumped over First Legion's boundaries, every hope vanished as if it had been smoke from a weak fire.

As soon as she jumped out of the protective area that was First Legion, Reyna was gone. She had vanished in a puff of smoke. In her wake was a small sheet of paper. Gwen fell to her knees and jerked the paper up.

_Oops, I seem to have a girl._

_She seems to be such a pearl._

_I'd really hate to impose on you,_

_But time's ticking, that is true._

_When the sun reaches peak,_

_Suddenly Pearl Girl will be more meek._

_Find her soon_

_Or you will play a black tune._

"They didn't leave their autograph?" Percy laughed anxiously, his voice all wrong in his ears. He'd just watched Reyna jump into the air and vanish. What had abducted her? Gwen was staring in her wake. Slowly, she reached her hand over the invisible line that was the boundary. Percy jerked forward to grab her hand, but she slapped him away and picked up the long piece of sunlight that was the only thing left of Reyna.

Roman mask in full force, Gwen slowly stood up and put the piece of hair with the note. Bianca reached a hand out to touch her but stopped and pulled it back.

"We must tell Lupa about this."

Lupa was not very happy. It was just like when she'd thought Gwen was dead.

Percy made sure to stand right next to Bianca and Gwen, hoping he might be able to shield Bianca from the dirty looks the Apollo cabin was giving her. They blamed Bianca for causing Reyna to loose her mind and jump out of the protected area of Romans and then get abducted. Percy told them to shut their faces and they obeyed but continued to glower.

"What are we going to do, Lupa?" Henry Young, an Apollo boy of about twelve, asked. His mask was not very good so Percy could easily see how worried he was. As if everyone had decided that their name was Lupa, the dams burst and everyone blurted out their thoughts and opinions and worries.

"We have to send out a quest!" Rebeka Smith, a Venus camper who had been trying to learn archery, cried. Quickly she readjusted her mask. Lupa growled at no one in particular but everyone's heated debate fell silent. Percy was stiff. Only he and his sister and Bianca had been silent during the outbreak of emotion.

The silence was thick as everyone waited for Lupa's final words. She didn't seem inclined to speak them out loud.

"It's obviously a trap." She spoke at last.

"But they have Reyna." Gwen responded, the only one who dared say anything.

"Who is brave enough to go?" Lupa asked quietly.

"Anyone and everyone." Gwen answered. _How can she speak without any emotion about such emotional things? How was it possible? _Percy wondered as he watched his sister, "The whole camp would gladly go to rescue her. We're Romans, this is what we train for."

Every back straightened suddenly. Every head was held high. Everyone's chests puffed up with pride. Percy realized he was included in the term "everyone". He was a proud Roman, too.

"Only three will go." Lupa ordered sharply, her indecision shattered. Percy doubted she even had any indecision. She probably had her mind made up after Gwen's news of Reyna's abduction. "As is the rules. Who will stand up to this thief and solve the puzzle? Which one of you will take two companions and face Death? Which ones of you will regard the Prophecy as you journey blindly into a trap?"

"I will." Percy announced in a loud and strong voice before anyone else could breathe out or form the words in their heads.

"That goes for me too." Gwen straightened up even more.

"I will go also." Bianca announced. Percy had never heard her voice ring with such confidence and decision.

Lupa's eyes flashed.

"Guinevere, of course, will go. She is the highest ranked, the most experienced, and the best fighter. Why should I allow you to go, boy?"

"Because," Percy swallowed, his throat dry, his voice incredibly clear, "I am a Roman of First Legion. I am the second best fighter. I am the son of Neptune."

Lupa's lip curled and a dangerous chuckle slipped out of her throat.

"So be it." Her attention was turned to Bianca, "Now why should I allow you? You are not experienced. You are meek. You have no visible talents that would aid the rescue. You will only slow down the mission. Then, you are not claimed which is a requirement for a quest. Why, if you suddenly get claimed in the next five seconds, should I allow you to go?"

"I can help. I can fight and help solve problems. I can shoot an arrow and stab with a knife. I will go with my family." She replied forcefully. And that was when she was claimed. Percy gasped as the symbol suddenly appeared over her head.

It was a black helmet that sparkled like diamonds and pricked fear into his heart.

"Hail!" Lupa exclaimed without any surprise, "The daughter of Pluto!"

"Hades." Percy whispered.

"It seems we have our three champions." Lupa said as the sign faded above Bianca's hair. "Guinevere, show your _family_ where we consult the Oracle. Go now and receive your prophecy and prepare for the quest."

As if they'd rehearsed it, they all turned and filed out of the pavilion, Gwen in the lead. When they were out of sight of anyone, Gwen broke the formality and spun around with a huge grin from ear to ear. Her arms were around Bianca suddenly, crushing her in a hug. Percy stood back and laughed.

"Bianca! You were claimed! You're a daughter of Pluto!"

Percy smirked to himself. Not many people were glad that their friend's dad was the god of death and the underworld. But of course Gwen was always in a whole different category of person. It was called the Guinevere Jackson group and there was only Gwen in it. There was only one Gwen in the world.

"So, we're going to see the Oracle?" Percy asked curiously. An unpleasant memory of a husk of a woman in a hippie dress in an old attic spewing horrible green smoke that smelled horrible and sounded like the hissing of snakes resurfaced suddenly. He shuddered. Then a picture of a happy, smiling red haired girl with golden paint in her hair appeared.

"Now what's wrong?" Gwen demanded. Apparently, she'd noticed him shiver.

"The Oracle's not some old mummy lady who spews green smoke, is she?" Percy felt stupid as soon as he said it. Both the girls gave him a funny look. _Well, that's not good._ He thought sheepishly. "That's what the Oracle was for a while at Camp Half-Blood."

"'For a while'?" Gwen asked.

"Uh, yeah, then the spirit entered Rachel." Percy's mouth just seemed to know the right answer. As soon as he said it, he knew that it was true.

"That would explain why it feels a little different ever since the Titans were fought."

"What do you mean 'it _feels _a little different'?" Bianca demanded.

"The Oracle's probably never spoken to you, directly at least. It's not something you forget, even in death, I'm sure." Gwen winked at her.

"Is it that wonderful?" Bianca asked hopefully.

"You wish." Percy replied while Gwen burst into laughter.

Gwen took to them into the woods that Percy had discovered were jam-packed full of monsters that took about five experienced Mars campers to take down—one at a time. Gwen told him that they played Capture the Flag on holidays or special occasions because the Vulcan and Minerva cabins were still trying to figure out an easy way to chase the monsters away from the fighting areas.

"Uh, Gwen, does the Roman Oracle communicate to you while you're dying?" Percy asked. He could already hear the rustling of foliage as monsters crept around and watched their party. They were only a few feet into the woods.

"No, stupid." Gwen replied coolly. She spun her wrists around and suddenly he saw the blur of celestial bronze as her swords came out. She slammed them together, dragging them away from each other. A horrible screech emitted from the metals as they raked across each other and sparks flew. The woods were suddenly silent.

"Cool trick." Percy murmured, awed. Gwen smirked.

"My trademark move." She explained. "I've killed enough monsters single-handedly that they know not to mess with me until they have a whole lot of reinforcements or until I'm not on guard, which is never."

"Why'd you never do that when we were training?" Percy asked.

"Percy," Gwen moaned, as if the answer was obvious, "the purpose of practice to learn, not intimidate. That's all my move serves. Focus. We have about five minutes to find the Oracle, get the prophecy, and get out before we have some company that will be pretty challenging."

They ran then, Gwen the quickest and in the lead.

It was the farthest Percy had ever gone into the forest but he was awed by its beauty. It was like a garden for the gods. The leaves sparkled with colors that they probably shouldn't be and the grass was like a sponge—soft, wet, and bouncy. Then there was the waterfall.

It was small in respect to other waterfalls but the water really was liquid rainbow that pooled into dozens of colors and images at the pool it fell into. Percy tried to look into the pool but the pictures made no sense. They went by before he could think about thinking what they were. Sometimes he saw flashes of a pair of gray eyes.

"So, where's the Oracle?" Bianca asked, her eyes wide as she too tried to make sense of all the images.

"Follow me." Gwen replied darkly. Sadly, Percy and Bianca tore themselves away from the beautiful pool and followed Gwen. She was walking along the edge of the pool then she stepped onto the thin rock ledge that was like a small, unnoticeable pathway. It lead into the liquid rainbow. Eagerly, Percy followed his sister.

She stepped through the rainbow. When Percy followed her, he gasped. It felt as if icy bubbles had entered every part of his body. He leapt quickly out of the way and ran into Gwen. He heard Bianca gasp as she went through the same unpleasant experience he had. They were in a cave. It wasn't very pleasant either.

The only light came from the rainbow water that was suddenly a dark black and white. The cave was circular and small. One thing was in the middle. It was like a short column of orderly packed dirt perfectly in the middle. Piled high on top of it were snake skins. Dozens and dozens of ancient and new snake skins.

"Behold," Gwen said in her Roman voice, "the Oracle." And with that, she stepped forward. Bianca was attached to her arm and Percy was embarrassed to admit he was attached to her by the hip. No one breathed as Gwen slowly reached out a finger and touched the old skins. The one she touched crumbled. As it fell, it suddenly changed from a greenish dust to a rotten egg smelling smoke that Percy knew all too well. Within a second, it was surrounding them, choking them. Then the old, rasping voice came. It said:

_The King of Giants seeks _

_While his powers start their peaks. _

_Death and Love shall be both friend and foe_

_And will require both to know._

Then the smoke changed back into its normal old pile of dust that Percy hadn't noticed before around the pedestal of skins. Gwen breathed out very slowly. Bianca was frozen, staring at the pile of dust with her mouth agape. Percy cleared his throat, trying to break the silence and forget about how much he hated the Oracle's cryptic prophecies. Why couldn't it just be black and white, plain and simple directions, that couldn't be misinterpreted? Was that such a difficult dream?

"So, shall we beat the monsters back to camp?" he asked weakly. Gwen met his green eyes and nodded slowly.

Camp was a buzzing place of activity. Lupa, as usual, was no where to be found. Percy wondered vaguely where she was. The cabins didn't seem to care that Percy and Gwen were half Greek at the moment or that Bianca was the daughter of Pluto. Everyone was on equal ground. Everyone was confident that three children of the Big Three—two of them the best fighters in camp—would bring Reyna back, safe and sound. Percy was touched by their confidence. Bianca was nervous because of all the positive attention that was being directed at her. Everyone was also hoping they'd find a Greek and find Jason. Percy was skeptical about that thought but in the Greek/Roman world, really anything was possible.

Lynn stole backpacks for them all with extra clothes, food, mortal and Roman money, and some ambrosia and nectar. Hazel gave them all little lilies that wouldn't die. Bobby gave them a huge pat on the back (he hit Percy extra hard, causing him to get a nice mouthful of dirt and grass when he hit the ground). Dakota danced around Gwen, asking her about what her plans were and what direction she was going to head in. Gwen just laughed which made Percy think she didn't have a plan at all.

The Apollo cabin asked Bianca to take Reyna's bow with her. Bianca was so honored, she almost cried. It was almost a party. A very crazy party that included lots of preparation for a dangerous quest. It lasted for about an hour and Bianca was branded with the SPQR and Pluto's Helm of Darkness. When the horn announcing bed time sounded, everyone was gone.

Lupa stepped out of the shadows. Gwen, Percy, and Bianca all straightened up.

"Go now, young heroes, brave ones, my children. Go now and bring back your sister safely." They all nodded in illusion. Lupa slipped away again.

"Which way?" Percy whispered.

"We'll take Pegasi for a good portion of the trip." Gwen answered, heading for the stables. Bianca whimpered. Animals didn't like her at all.

"But how will we know which way to go?" Percy demanded, hoping she wouldn't say something like "Let's just wing it and hope we don't get killed!"

"By this." She answered. She waved a small scrap of paper in front of his nose. "Our little kidnapper really wants us to take Reyna back."

She winked.

_**5: Bianca Burns Down a Library**_

"**So, what does our little kidnapper say?"** Percy asked. Incredibly, with lots of apples and sugar cubes and coaxing, they'd gotten a dark brown Pegasus named Bruno to let Bianca ride on him. Percy and Gwen had a much easier time. Being the children of the god of horses, they could communicate to the Pegasi and the Pegasi, in turn, felt inclined to offer their services to them. Gwen rode on a palomino one named Jellybeans and Percy got a chestnut mare named Love Bug. The reason Percy had gotten the Venus cabin's Pegasus was because it fell in love with him. True story. The Pegasus was in love with him. He couldn't do anything without hearing her coo over him. Gwen kept laughing and the other Pegasi chortled a little too. Lesson he learned? Girls, whatever species, are dangerous when they are in love.

"It says, uh, '_Prove your worth for the girl's power/Find the clue near the Greek flower/ Tick, tick, goes the clock/The Underworld's doors may get a small knock, knock.'"_

"WHY DOES EVERYONE SPEAK IN RIDDLES? That was a horrible rhyme anyways!" Percy bellowed, irritated.

_Riddles are just confusing, Beautiful One._ Love Bug said.

Gwen completely ignored him.

"Bianca, what do you think The Abductor is trying to tell us?" she asked.

"I don't know." Bianca answered slowly. "Gwen, what did he mean, in the first letter, when he said '_When sun reaches peak'_?"

"We have until the summer solstice." Gwen replied.

"Why?" Percy demanded.

"Why not?" Gwen replied, "It's only a week away. And it's a special day."

"Stop rhyming." Percy snarled.

_You're so right, Darling, rhymes are terrible._ Love Bug told Percy. He groaned quietly to himself. He didn't think he could stand too much longer with Love Bug if she kept up her comments.

"So how are we supposed to find our 'clue' if we can't find the Greek flower?" Bianca asked. She looked at Gwen worriedly. Bruno tensed and his wings beat harder.

"B," Percy commanded, "calm down. You are freaking out Bruno."

"Oh, sorry, Bruno." Bianca replied, trying to make her voice sound light. Her body posture and vibes did not improve however.

_Danger, danger! _Bruno was moaning. Gwen glanced over at Percy.

"Let's land and think about this. We could be going the exact opposite way. B, what do you think about Dr. Pepper?" Gwen asked lightly.

Percy wanted to take the Pegasi through the drive-threw, but the whole idea of landing was to give the Pegasi a break and figure out where the heck they were going, not see what the Mist would do to a bunch of mortals. Mist was the thing that disguised monsters and things from normal people.

Tyson came back into his mind. He could remember the feeling of shock in all his limbs as Tyson entered Camp Half-Blood and Percy could see that he had only one eye.

Percy had to admit, a blue Mountain Dew was really good. Love Bug said she preferred a Cherry Limeade. Percy smiled slightly when Gwen went up and ordered their drinks—sodas for everyone, including the Pegasi. Percy wondered what the mortals were seeing as Bruno, Love Bug, and Jellybeans sucked down on their Cherry Limeades. Judging by the employees' wide eyes and open mouths, it was something to behold.

"So," Bianca interrupted his thoughts, "Where do we find a Greek flower?"

"Maybe the Internet?" Percy said thoughtfully.

"No." Gwen said, "This place is uh, well, too hick. They aren't going to have something as 'new age' as the Internet. We need something older."

"Gwen, please don't go all Minerva's kid on me. You aren't suggesting we go into a library, are you?" Percy moaned.

"Percy, you're a genius. That's exactly where we should go!" Gwen beamed at him.

_You're so right, Baby. Libraries are overrated. _Love Bug said in between sips.

"Ugh." Percy moaned, "Fine, let's go do some research. Gwen, when we get back to camp, your Minerva visiting allowances are definitely suspended."

Gwen laughed.

Turns out, the only grand thing about the town they were in was the library. People came from miles around to visit it. It was called Abraham Lincoln's Study. Percy didn't really like it because it was set up Roman style (he still wasn't a fan of neat and orderly). He watched Bianca, however, loosen the muscles in her shoulders. Everyone else seemed to be more comfortable around the Roman theme. It was just him…and Gwen who stiffened and scowled, Roman masks feeling like they'd been welded onto the flesh of their faces.

They stepped into the library. Gwen exhaled slowly. She rubbed her arms quickly, as if hoping no one would notice, then smiled at Percy. He felt bad for his sister who was in her short shorts, sleeveless T-shirt, and purple ankle converses. The AC was definitely on high.

_It smells like books in here! _Jellybeans complained.

"Gwen, I don't think the Pegasi should come in…" Percy warned, thinking about what it would look like if one of them started to eat some of the library's books. He didn't like it, but he didn't want it to get all messed up either. He wasn't that prejudiced.

_You don't want me to come in with you, Sugar Plumb? _Love Bug whined, hurt.

"Percy's right. You guys stay out here and trim the grass." Gwen said, nodding her head slowly. She rubbed her arms again, unconsciously trying to smooth the stubborn goosebumps.

_Grass sounds good! _Jellybeans praised, happily prancing towards the perfectly trimmed lawn.

_Not as good as Cherry Limeade..._Bruno complained.

_Percy doesn't want me to come with him? Percy doesn't want me! Percy doesn't love me! _Love Bug galloped away in what sounded like a fit of horsey tears.

"Uh, oh, Percy-boy," Gwen smirked, "What's going to happen when Annabeth finds out about Love Bug?"

"Shut up, Gwen!" Percy snapped half-heartedly, feeling a flush come over his cheeks. Why couldn't one of them fall in love with Gwen? It seemed to him that he'd gotten the bad luck in the draw of luck. Of course, he had gotten to go to a Greek camp and stay with his mother and eat blue food. Why _did _he like blue food? It was a nagging thought at the back of his mind that popped up occasionally. It probably wasn't important to someone normal, but, for some reason, he knew it was special to him.

"Uh, _Percy_!" Gwen was snapping her fingers in front of his face. He blinked. _Drat._ He thought. He had those annoying little spots in front of his eyes that happen when you stared at a light for too long. Bianca was already at a big oak desk, thumbing through a tall pile of books. Gwen was laughing at him, trying to wake him up from his daydreaming thoughts...

"So, what'd I miss?" he grinned at her sheepishly. She rolled her eyes at him then pointed to Bianca. He obediently went to sit with her and help look for something about a Greek flower. Did Greeks have their own flower? And how were three dyslexic demigods going to find it in a whole library? If that made any sense. Which it didn't.

"Gwen..." Percy screwed up his face, trying to just prod things in his memory and hope that they would loosen up new things. "A few years ago, there was almost a war..." he could remember thunder. Lots and lots of thunder. And something about a war. And people were blaming him.

"Yeah, that's when Jupiter's master bolt was stolen. They blamed me at first, you know, because I'm Neptune's daughter, but they couldn't pin it on me because we were in the middle of a tournament when it happened. And Lupa was there and Mars and Venus were hanging around so they had to let me go on the charges. I wondered how they got the bolt back. I guess that's when Father claimed you, isn't it? Roman gods aren't too chatty and you were Greek, able, older, and male. Perfect for his quest."

"When were _you_ claimed?" Percy asked, snapping his flower book closed and reaching for another one.

"Hm." Gwen replied thoughtfully, a frown pulling at her lips, "I was always being knocked down. Over and over. Continuously. They told me I was hopeless. They told me I was never going to get claimed because I was always getting knocked on my back. I was always hopeless-too Greek for my own good. They told me I had to fight Georgina if I wanted to prove I was a real Roman." Gwen laughed then. A hollow sound, empty of humor. She closed a book slowly then pulled another towards her.

"Georgina?" Percy prompted, more interested in Gwen's story than the huge, dusty book that was making his eyes water.

"The best Mars camper our camp's ever had." Gwen laughed again. "Georgina was sixteen. I was seven then. I had absolutely no talents. I trained for hours at a time. If I wasn't eating or sleeping, I was training. I was learning as much as I could. I was always working, analyzing. It was the day Georgina was picking on my favorite satyr, a little runt named Bristle. I challenged her to a fight. She just laughed. Everyone gathered around to watch me get my butt whipped. But when I fought, nobody expected me to fight like a champion. Georgina fought her best and so did I. She fought me so hard. No one had ever seen a battle like that. She fought me back to the sea. She joked it would make my cuts feel good. She never knew how right she was. I beat her, with Father's blessing of water. And that's when he claimed me. That's when his Trident appeared over my head and his Stallion appeared on my arm. A week later I went through the Three Tasks. I passed. I became a 'true' Roman. Was I ever really one? No." Gwen sighed. "If we want the Greeks and the Romans to get along, they won't be Greek or Romans. They'll be called something unique. They'll be called something that means all of them. They'll be together and right."

"Gwen, why didn't the Trident appear over my head? Why did dad's stallion only appear? Why did Bianca's father claim her after her Three Tasks were completed but Neptune claimed us before?" Percy questioned, slamming his book closed on his fingers.

"You were already claimed, Percy. All that was left was for you to get your brands-as soon as you proved your Roman heart. But, being a child of Neptune, you get your tattoos at different times. It all depends on what mood Father is in.

"Gods usually claim their children from the time they enter First Legion to just a week or two after they pass the Three Tasks. Usually, campers enter camp when they're old enough to compete in the Three Tasks. The only thing is to train them to a decent level and hope they go through okay. Rules get a little blurry, even for Romans, when you're entered into the camp at a young young age."

"This is hopeless!" Bianca slammed a book down. "We're never going to find that stupid Greek flower. We need someone who knows their flowers! We don't need a library, we need a greenhouse!" she huffed.

"Control." Gwen soothed.

Bianca nodded, screwing up her face as she tried to do just that. Percy glanced around, hoping for a clue. Maybe they could do an Internet search...wait, nope, there were no computers. Well, that was stupid.

"Does anyone have a phone?" Bianca asked, as if considering a concept that was out of her age group.

"Sorry, B, cells are strictly a big no, no for demigods. Did you know that by talking on a cell, you're practically sending up a flare to monsters saying eat me! Eat me! Hey, I'm tasty, just go ahead and eat me!" Percy waved his arms around. Gwen laughed. Bianca laughed too.

"How does anyone find anything here without a computer?" Percy wondered out loud.

"It's called a librarian, Percy." Bianca giggled again.

"Oh, right, yeah, that would be smart." he muttered. He glanced behind him and nearly kicked himself.

The librarian was sitting behind her high desk reading a magazine. The plaque on her desk said _Mrs. Greene. _Her magazine was called _All the Amazing Flowers in the World._ Her skirt was covered in flowers. Her hair had a flower in it. There was a calendar dedicated to flowers on the wall behind her. They had been searching through books for a good hour only to have an encyclopedia of flower knowledge sitting behind them.

They all looked at each other.

"Percy, why don't you ask Mrs. Greene some questions. Just be sure to do it in such a way that Love Bug won't get jealous." Gwen teased him.

"Ha, ha." Percy replied dryly.

He stood up and slowly walked up to the tall desk. Gwen probably should have been talking to this lady, not him. If he could remember right, which was iffy, adults had always marked him as a troublemaker and never really had any patience with him. He was pretty sure the feeling was fairly mutual at some times.

"Uh, hi, uh, Mrs. Greene. I was wondering if you could help me with this poem my sister wrote. It's about flowers though, and I've been going through flower books for hours without any luck, so it's okay if you don't know." Mrs. Greene slapped her magazine closed and leaned forward.

"Lay it on me, Sweet Chops." she commanded, noisily chewing her gum. Her eyes were huge behind her thick glasses.

"She said in her poem 'Greek flower'. Do you know what flower she could be referring to?" Percy whispered. Mrs. Greene's eyes sparkled by the challenge.

"I'll be back in a jiffy, Lemon Love!" she cried heroically before vanishing behind her desk. He glanced behind him at the girls. Bianca gave him a thumbs up but Gwen had her head down, crying she was laughing so hard. He huffed. He didn't think anything was _that _funny.

"HERE WE ARE DEAR!" Percy jumped sky high. He had Riptide out-in pen form, but he almost sliced through a very happy librarian who would have freaked out to see a sword or something go straight through her. Celestial bronze could only kill monsters. Of course, demigods were special so they could get killed by bronze _and _normal mortal things. Lucky them.

The librarian didn't notice Percy's pen or how close she'd gotten to seeing something slide right through her. She tapped the page she'd torn out of a magazine proudly. Bianca screamed. Mrs. Greene's head jerked up, a look of irritation on her face, then she shrieked. The page fell out of her hands and Mrs. Greene was booking it out of the library. The fastest Percy was sure he'd ever seen a little old lady move.

He looked at what was freaking everyone out and what was probably about to try to kill him. His eyes widened and he, in one fluid motion, grabbed the page off the ground and stuffed it in his pocket. Very glad Riptide was already out, Percy uncapped his sword and the snake women hissed violently at him.

Formally called Scythian Dracaenae, they were monsters that looked like rather snakey women from the waist up and from the waist down they had these two trunk things that were like snake legs. They were like two huge snake tails that seemed to have morphed into legs. It was kind of funny to watch them walk or slither or whatever they did. They couldn't fight well, to a well trained fighter, but they were still a monster that could get the best of a demigod if given a chance. And at the moment, twenty of them were scowling and hissing at Percy, Gwen, and Bianca.

The snake women charged.

Percy heard the screech of Gwen's bronze. The majority of the monsters froze, startled, but they continued to run after only a second. Percy grinned as he jumped forward and met one's sword. He jumped away from her attack and found the chink in her armor. She screamed as she burst into a cloud of dust that settled on the floor. He heard Gwen and Bianca fighting behind him. He didn't pay attention to them though, he was concentrating as the snake women collapsed on him, trying to find his weakness.

They didn't even scratch his shirt. All his battling with Gwen really had done him good. His feet almost gave out on him then and he glanced down for the smallest second, against everything Gwen had ever taught him. The monster dust was moving across the ground quickly. But instead of going to the underworld to reform in a few years or a lifetime if a demigod was lucky, which Percy never was, it was forming right there, right next to him. There was no way to defeat the monsters if they kept reforming at such a fast rate.

"Gwen! Help!" Bianca screamed. Percy slashed a row of snake women out of his way. He jumped up on a table and saw poor Bianca. She had cut her way to a bookshelf. She had found the problem Percy had discovered. Her back was to the bookshelf. Her and Reyna's bows were over her neck and shoulder and she had her knife out and was doing her best to slash at the snake women with their swords.

Gwen had about fifteen snake women on her. As soon as she'd slashed one, another was in its place. There was no way to win.

A snake woman took a well aimed jab at Bianca. As her wrist got a good sized cut in it, her knife and her injured wrist hit the bookshelf. The spines caught on fire. In an instant, the bookshelf was a tower of fire. Bianca gasped, cowering back.

"Nowssss my chancccce!" a snake woman hissed. She drew her sword. Percy jumped forward, swiping through several snake women. Tyson's shield clanged against the sword. Percy slashed through the monsters.

"B! Come on! GWEN! ABANDON IT! THERE'S NO WAY TO WIN!" Percy screamed. He smacked a snake woman in the head with his shield then began to slash his way out of the trap Bianca had made for herself. All around them the bookshelves were catching fire.

Gwen slashed her way to them and they ran out, dodging blows. Outside, they found Mrs. Greene, fainted on the ground. The Pegasi were no where to be found.

Percy glanced behind his shoulder and saw the front of the library crumble on some snake women. Just like that, the rest of the building followed. The three demigods were left with a fainted librarian, a burned down building, and a clipping out of a magazine about a flower that would help them find a clue to their quest.

_**6: Luck Manages to Go from Bad to Worse**_

"**I don't like buses." Percy complained**, squirming. Something told him that buses didn't like him either. He'd probably met his first monsters on a bus or something...

"Stop complaining, Percy." Gwen sighed, gazing out the window, "I think the Pegasi either went to raid a Sonic or Love Bug convinced everyone else to high-tail it away." She gave him a look as if it was his fault that stupid Love Bug had to fall in love with him and was super sensitive. How was he supposed to control that? "But, either way, we're going to stay on this bus. Give me that clipping, let's see what we're trying to find."

Percy eagerly pulled out the paper. Bianca leaned into him. He did his best to suppress the shudder because of her cool skin. She shrank away from his shiver however and Gwen slapped him on the arm. It stung.

"'Super cool wrestling for women'?" Bianca read curiously.

"B, try the other side." Gwen laughed, "You have to give my brother a little credit for the few brains he does have. The Narcissus flower. Of course!" Gwen cried, making every person on the bus jump sky high. Everyone whipped around to stare at his twin sister but Gwen was too busy reveling at the clipping to pay any attention. Percy blushed for himself and her.

"Hey, Gwen, why don't you clue the whole bus into your little revelation?" Percy hissed under his breath. Gwen looked up. She smirked slightly.

"Do you guys know who Narcissus is?" she whispered so only Bianca and Percy could hear her. They shook their heads in illusion. Gwen jumped up and pushed Percy over into her seat. She sat inbetween himself and Bianca. "Okay, the actually story's a little blurry-like always-but, the main story is that Narcissus fell in love with his refection and wasted away by his pond. His remains or blood or whatever brought the first Narcissus flower or, better known as, the daffodil."

"We've been looking for a daffodil?" Percy demanded.

"Yep." Gwen replied cheerfully.

"Great. I didn't know daffodil's were Greek."

"Shut up, Percy." Gwen answered.

There was a girl. She was glaring at him.

"Percy, where are you?" she demanded.

"I'm on a bus..." he told her. Her eyes narrowed.

"Why are you on a bus? You should be here, with us. Where are you, Percy? We need you."

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Percy!" the girl scolded, "I am Thalia! Don't you remember me?" Her bright blue eyes stared through him. As if they were shooting electricity thoughout every nerve in his body.

"No. I don't. I can't." he told her.

Those blue eyes broke suddenly, a sadness consumed them.

_PERCY! WHERE ARE YOU!_

"_AHHH!"_

"Percy! Are you alright?" Gwen was shaking him.

"That wasn't Thalia." he said. The last voice was frusterated and miserable and desperate. Which could have been Thalia if the voice hadn't been male.

"Huh?" Gwen demanded. Her green eyes and Bianca's black eyes bored into him, demanding answers.

"I don't know." he answered, so angry at himself that he could have punched the seat in front of him. Gwen nodded slightly and settled back in her seat to read the clipping probably for the hundreth time.

"So we're back to that." she breathed, so soft Percy almost missed it. The comment stung bad. He blinked, startled by it.

The bus was empty. It was all dark. He was the only one who'd fallen asleep. He was the only one who didn't know anything. He was the only one and his own twin wouldn't-couldn't?-understand him. His vision suddenly got a reddish tint. He felt Bianca suddenly stiffen.

"DO YOU THINK I'M MAKING IT UP!" He demanded suddenly, shouting into Gwen's face. He watched her recoil as shock and hurt flashed across her face. It gave him a sudden power to be able to release his feelings and make people listen to him. He hated the thought of people not believing him.

"Percy-" Gwen stuttered.

"DO YOU THINK I'M A LIAR, GUINEVERE?" Percy demanded.

"No! Percy! Let me explain-"

"DO YOU THINK I LIKE NOT KNOWING ANYTHING!"

Gwen's face hardened into her Roman Mask. It was impenatrable. The sudden absense of life startled him and his voice left him for a second.

"I said, 'so we're back to that'. What I meant was, 'so we're back to you not knowing anything!' Not 'so we're back to you lying!' Don't you have any belief in my faith for you, Perseus?" Gwen said in her detatched voice, her eyes boring into his.

"I-"

The bus left the ground.

It literally flew into the air. It began to spin. Percy grabbed the handle above his seat and Gwen around the waist. Gwen gasped as she grabbed Bianca's hand. Gravity took over. The nose of the bus plummeted downwards. Percy looked out the window and swore he saw what looked like a fist formed from the ground. A great chuckle rocked the earth and he suddenly felt a moment of dread. Then the fist went back to its normal, flat self. The ground stopped its laughter and began what sounded like a soft snore. Then the bus hit the concrete.

Percy yelled as Gwen and Bianca's bodies were jerked out of their seats completely. Percy met Gwen's eyes for the smallest fraction of a second and saw the pure fear in them.

Bianca's sweaty hand slipped out of Gwen's and she fell. Gwen screamed as her body twisted around and hit the windshield. Percy heard the horrible crunch and saw the splatter of blood. He looked away, knowing the sound would never leave his mind.

The bus flipped over, upside down and stopped, finally. Gwen had hit the ceiling/floor incredibly hard. A big gash was on her forehead but she didn't really seem to notice. She quickly touched Percy's face and looked in his eyes, searching for injury, then she pulled free and ran to Bianca. He let go of his handle and ran after her. He paused for a moment to stoop and grab Riptide.

"Percy!" he looked up at Gwen's painful cry.

She was crying.

"B's leg and arm is broken as well as some ribs and a fracture to her skull. We'll need more than necter and ambrosia or she's not going to make it!" she cried.

"Isn't she daughter of the Lord of the dead?" Percy asked in a daze.

"Percy! She's loosing too much blood for jokes!"

"Perhaps I can help."

Gwen gasped and Percy looked up, Riptide convientently in hand, to find a woman staring at their party.

"Who are you?" he demanded roughly.

The woman gave him a slow smile.


	3. Chapter 3

_**7: Gwen Unleashes the Animal Within**_

"**Step lightly dears, your friend doesn't **look very good." the woman cooed. Percy glanced up at her, feeling there just wasn't something right...but she had such a soothing presence, he must have been imagining his uneasy feelings. Gwen was probably messing with the mood atmosphere because of how worried she was about Bianca.

Bianca didn't look good at all, though. She was covered in blood and her right arm and left leg were turned at funny angles, even as she dangled, half-conscious, between Gwen and himself. He shuddered once more as her bare arm touched his neck.

The woman had insisted that she could help their injured party and had coaxed them out of the bus with the words that her shop, that had the proper medical treatments, was only a few minutes of walking away from their crash site.

"Good," Percy had said, "We better get the driver too."

"Driver?" the woman had repeated, her voice blank, her eyes friendly but slightly narrowed, a wide, fake-looking smile on her lips. "Percy, I'm afraid you hit your head a little hard, dear, there was no driver. That's why you crashed, silly boy!"

"Then how did we end up upside down?" he'd asked, feeling confused.

"Percy! Ta, stop being silly."

"How do you know my name?"

"You told it to me!"

"No, I didn't-"

"Percy! B needs help now! Stop arguing with your faulty memory and help me!" Gwen had pleaded, not really listening to the conversation. Before, he'd had a gut feeling that something wrong was near him and something bad was going to happen. But, since then, he'd calmed down and realized he had just been behaving silly on the bus. Of course there was no driver, that's why they'd crashed. Everything was perfectly alright and would be just fine.

It was almost as if a calming spell had been cast over him.

"What did you say your name was?" Percy asked blankly.

"Oh, poor Percy. I'll tell you once more: Mrs. M."

"Oh, thanks." he responded, pretty sure that she hadn't uttered a word revolving around the subject of her name. But that was just his silliness talking. If she said she told him, she had told him. Something nagged at him in his gut, bugging him to open his eyes. He ignored it and let the good feeling Mrs. M seemed to radiate dull his senses. It was more intoxicating than Gwen's seemingly feeble attempts at peace.

"Do you like my perfume, Percy?" Mrs. M asked as she showed them to her little store. It was a marble structure with a good roof and a sign that read _Herbs and Potions. _

"Yes, ma'am!" Percy replied, not caring that every nerve in his body was stiffening and trying to force him backwards, away from Mrs. M's store. But that was just his silliness talking.

"It's a special blend of herbs I mixed together myself." she told him with a laugh, "I'm so glad you like it." She smiled at him. Something was off. Something was wrong. But that was silly. She appeared to be about thirty. Her hair was long and black and a golden head band was in her hair. Her eyes were a dark black and her skin was pale, as if she'd been couped up in a prison for years.

"Lay your friend down on that bench right there-yes, there's good children. Now, stand back and let me work my magic." she beamed at him and something horrible happened. It appeared that her skin became see-through. Percy could only see her bony skull and her empty eye sockets and her teeth-pulled into an evil grin. Percy hadn't thought bones actually moved like that. Gwen grabbed his arm. She felt too warm. He shook her off.

Mrs. M's face was completely normal. As quickly as Percy's hallucination had begun, it had ended.

Somewhere, at the very back of his mind, a tiny voice screamed, _Percy! Where are you? Don't believe her! Trust your gut! _But he'd hit his head very hard, so hearing voices was just normal. Besides, the voice sounded like it was so far away. It must mean a different Percy because he wasn't in any danger. He was safe with Mrs. M. The only bad thing was his constant silliness. But he'd fix that.

"It's so exciting to have little patients!" Mrs. M beamed at them.

"Percy..." Gwen whimpered, "There's something wrong. I feel it. We need to get out of this place. Please...Percy...?"

"Shut up, Gwen. Don't be rude to Mrs. M. She'd going to great lengths to help us. What would we have done if she hadn't rescued us from that bus?" Percy hissed at her. Her eyes were wide and frightened. Something stirred in him but he buried it. Silliness.

"She didn't rescue us. There was a driver. Percy, she makes everything wrong! We need out of here now!"

"Guinevere!"

"Didn't you see her face show its true form?" she asked quietly.

"Stop being stupid. Your mind is just acting up. There is nothing wrong with Mrs. M! She's just-"

"A magician." Mrs. M cut into their conversation. Gwen recoiled around to touch Percy's shirt but he pulled away from her. He didn't like Gwen to touch him. It distracted him from Mrs. M's lovely perfume. He didn't need to think while it was in the air around him. He sighed, content.

"B!" Gwen cried gleefully. Percy glared at her, her very voice distracting to his bliss. But he felt a slight joy at seeing all Bianca's cuts and bruises healing before his very eyes. Bianca was going to be just fine.

"What's wrong with her?" Gwen whispered, touching Bianca's hand. It didn't move.

"It's exhausting to heal. Her body just needs a little rest. Calm yourself, Guinevere," Percy's mind bounced to Dakota and how much he hated it when people called his sister "Guinevere". Mrs. M swept an arm near him and a wave of her perfume washed over him. He no longer cared what his sister's name was. "She's just in a little coma."

"Coma?" Gwen demanded, her voice accusing and horrified.

"It's helping her Gwen, just shut up." Percy told her.

"Sure, a little coma is exactly what everyone needs. Maybe she'll loose all that extra weight she seems to have added." Gwen snapped at him sarcastically.

"Gwen-"

"Yes, yes, I know, _shut up. _Why don't you shut up yourself, Percy, and stop making such a fool out of yourself?" she replied coldly.

"Oh, a sibling spat?" Mrs. M crooned.

"No. Percy, while you decide how you're going to propose, I'm going to look for the bus driver." Gwen threw a look Percy's way then another Mrs. M's way. Percy could practically see the wheels in Gwen's head turning. His eyes narrowed slightly then Mrs. M swept too close to him and he didn't really care again what she was doing or thinking.

"Percy, why don't you come sit down?"

"Sure." mindlessly, he followed her deeper into her store.

There were shelves and shelves of bottles and jars. Some were labeled. Some weren't. Dried herbs hung from the low ceiling. Spider webs hung on some things. Percy paused to read one label: lock from Theseus's head. He cocked his head slightly.

"Dear, come with _me._" Mrs. M commanded. Percy nodded absentmindedly and followed her, swaying a little.

"Sit, dear." Percy plopped down on the sofa Mrs. M showed to him. "Tell me about yourself."

Percy opened his mouth, eager to spill his guts to the woman he'd just met, "My name is Percy."

"I know that, dear." Mrs. M rolled her eyes. "Here, I will, how do you say, break the ice? Yes, break the ice. I was hoping for visitors today. Your bus was supposed to be my tour bus but then I heard that laugh of my patron's master and then the sound of your bus crashing was everywhere. It really was a horrible sound. Dear, do tell me what made you flip."

"There was no driver." Percy told her obediently.

"Very good. Yes, this perfume seems to be my best yet." Mrs. M nodded her head happily.

"I like it, too." he sighed happily.

"Tell me who your parent is. You are a demigod, after all." She commanded, watching him as he nodded his head up and down like a puppet, unable to think anything more complex than _yes, yes, yes. _

"Neptune." he blubbered eagerly. He saw her face change for just a second. A flash of some emotion that he couldn't identify and didn't care about right now.

"Neptune?" Mrs. M asked quietly, her body stiff. She breathed out and swept her arm near Percy. Her perfume hugged him like an old friend. "Yes, Neptune. A very powerful god indeed." slowly, she stood up, a smile Percy might have recognized as dangerous if he'd been paying attention or cared.

"I had to do a quest for him when I was twelve." Percy told her, sighing as he breathed in her intoxicating perfume, "I met a lot of my best friends there." Mrs. M nodded.

"Percy, dear, would you like some hot cocoa? Tea, perhaps? A glass of lemonade?"

"Sure."

"I'll give you tea-it's the best. After all, it is my own special recipe." Mrs. M gave him a smile. He nodded his head up and down robotically.

"Would you like to hear a story, son of Neptune?"

He nodded again.

"It's about a woman who had talent, money, and a good husband." Mrs. M crushed the leaves in her fist. "Once a upon a time, the woman was very happy. She had a talent that enabled her to do incredible things. She was the Queen of a country. Her husband loved her very much. They had wonderful children who would one day rule the country well. Then, one day, that woman's husband was given a gift. It was a beautiful animal. A bull. The woman's husband was supposed to sacrifice the animal to the god who had given it to him, but it was such a beautiful creature." she sighed. She poured the water into a small cup. "He didn't kill it." she paused her work. "The god who'd given the beast to him took great offense and decided to punish him in a particular way. He asked another god to make the woman fall in love with the beast. And she did." Mrs. M gave a hollow laugh as she sprinkled a few petals into the tea, "And she lay with the beast and created a monster. And do you know what the husband did to the woman?"

Percy shook his head, staring at her.

"He locked her into an underground prison. She could never escape. She could never see him or her children or the beast again. And she died there." she picked up the tea cup and she handed it to Percy.

"Thank you." he murmured.

"Drink." she told him.

He raised it to his lips.

"Do you know what her name was?"

He shook his head slightly. The cup touched his bottom lip.

"I am King Minos wife, Pasiphaë."

He swallowed his first sip.

"Percy!" it was Gwen, "There's something wrong. The driver is only like these dried up leaves." her hands were full of leaves. Percy looked up and saw a branch with the same leaves.

"Drink."

He sipped more.

"Percy, what are you drinking?" Gwen asked. Mrs. M nonchalantly moved in front of Percy, blocking Gwen's view.

"Guinevere, what a pretty necklace." Mrs. M reached forward. Gwen shied away from her touch.

"Gwen, be nice." Percy warned, taking another swallow of his tea. His arms and legs seemed to be getting heavier and heavier with every sip and drink. _Percy..._the voice had returned. But it was just a whisper.

"May I see your necklace?"

"No..." Gwen was pressed up against one of the shelves.

"Please,Guinevere? It's such a pretty piece." Mrs. M cooed. "Will you tell me who it was from?"

"My father." Gwen whispered. Percy saw her take off the necklace with slow fingers.

"Ah, Neptune. Yes, isn't he generous?"

The cup fell out of Percy's hands.

"PERCY!" Gwen yelled. He saw her run a step forward. Mrs. M grabbed her arm.

"He's fine." she cooed.

"Let me go!" Gwen's left wrist began to flip, about to unleash her sword and turn Mrs. M into a pile of ribbons, but her movement was slow and lethargic, as if she was moving through molasses. Mrs. M grabbed a fistful of leaves from the closest jar to her and stuffed the leaves into Gwen's mouth.

Gwen shook on the floor.

Percy's eyes widened and he tried to go for Riptide but he couldn't move his arms or legs. Only his eyes could move around and blink and watch the horror unfolding.

_GWEN! _Percy's mind screamed.

"That's why my perfume wouldn't work on you." Mrs. M said in a disgusted voice.

She threw Gwen's necklace into one of the corners of her shop. Then she grabbed Gwen's legs and began to drag her through the bookshelves. Percy couldn't see anything.

_GWEN! _

Percy grunted. Mrs. M laughed.

"Oh, son of Neptune, I will take care of you later. First I have to take care of your sister before my potion completes itself." Percy glared at at where her voice was coming from the bookshelves, wishing he could just fry her with his brain power or something.

Gwen screamed.

Percy wanted to readjust so he could see Gwen. He wanted to pull out Riptide and slash Mrs. M to pieces. He wanted to see how she liked being stuffed into random jars. He wanted to help his sister.

Mrs. M had dashed out of sight.

Percy began to look around the store, in search of empty jars. _Her right hand can go in that one._ He thought darkly. _Her hair can go in that one. _

Mrs. M flew across the room and hit the wall. If Percy could have moved, his mouth would've hung open. And that's about all he could have done. Then the Pegasus appeared.

It was tall and elegant. Its body was black and its eyes were brilliant sea green. Its long, flowing mane and tail were the same shade and seemed to be drawn, they almost swept the floor. Starting from the knees were long, feathery like hairs that hid its hooves. The wings were the same beautiful green and were strong and thin and long. It flapped its wings at him. Then trotted up to him.

_Percy! Are you alright?_

The voice was Gwen's.

He stared at her.

That was all he could do.

Literally.

_Move! Do something! Fix this!_

He glared at her. As if he could. He'd been wanting to for a while, it seemed. Gwen tapped one of her feet at him. She was irritated.

_Fine, Useless, I'll fix this._ And with that she swept her wings back and knocked the kettle off the stove.

It hit him in the head.

The hot water poured over him. He didn't concentrate on what it felt to have boiling hot water poured over his skin, he enjoyed the way every nerve in his body seemed to spark and ignite and just _work _as the water touched it.

"GWEN! YOU'RE A-"

_Percy, let's try the intelligent approach! I already know this! Grab Bianca, we got to get out of this place. Like, NOW! _

Percy jumped to his feet then stumbled.

"My legs are asleep!" he complained.

_Try changing into a Pegasus and _then _see how you feel about life! _Gwen yelled bad-naturedly in his head. Percy laughed a little and ran through the shelves, Gwen trotting by his side. Bianca was just like he'd last seen her. Motionless. Helpless. Slightly snoring.

"B!" he yelled in her ear, shaking her. To no prevail.

_Throw her on._

"You're joking." Percy looked at his sister.

_That's what Pegasi are for, stupid._

"Right." He picked Bianca up and slung her over Gwen's back. She laid limply on Gwen's neck. Percy jumped up behind her.

"Do you think you can just fly out of here?" Mrs. M snarled at them, tree branches in each hand, "You've forgotten who you're dealing with then!" she screamed. Gwen screamed something Percy really didn't want to repeat then jumped behind one shelf and kicked.

Mrs. M screamed as her shelves became dominoes. She fell silent as the last one hit her and vaporized her into a yellow, sulfur-smelling monster dust. Immediately, she began to reform.

"GWEN! FLY!" Percy screamed.

Gwen kicked off.

She burst through the roof and took off into the sky.

_Holy gods! Holy gods! Holy gods! Holy-_

"GWEN, SHUT UP!" Percy yelled over the rushing wind. Gwen had some serious speed that kicked butt.

_You try turning into this and flying on the same day and then you can tell me to shut up! In the meantime, holy gods, holy gods, holy freakin' gods!_

Percy rolled his eyes.

"You're such a drama queen."

_I heard that._

"Good."

_Immature._

"Stupid."

_Ugly._

"Horse face."

They both burst into laughter.

"Gwen, when do you think B will wake up?"

_Dunno. In the meantime, enjoy the ride, Water Boy._

"Ha, ha. You're hilarious. So I take it you _know _where the Narcissus flower is?"

_Of course, Perc. While you were dozing, dreaming about Annabeth-_

"Was not!"

_Shut up, anyway, I was thinking about where our little flower might be._

"So, what, you just closed your eyes and asked 'If I were a Narcissus flower, where would I be?'"

_Pretty much._

"Great. So, we're going on a hunch?"

_Maybe._

"Wanna tell me where in Olympus we're going?"

_Mount Shasta. _

_**8: Bianca Breaks into a Hospital**_

"**Whoa! Where are we? Percy!** Where's Gwen?"

"Right there, where she was last night." Percy groaned, rolling over in his sleep. "B! You're awake! How do you feel?"

"Like I could run a mile. Where are we? The last thing I remember is falling...then I tasted...butterscotch. What happened to Gwen? When did we get a Pegasus? I thought they all ran away. Why is it _green_?"

"Chill, B. Just, uh, listen. Okay," Percy sat up. They were in a forest. The sky was dark and Gwen was up, watching them. Percy could swear he saw a smirk playing on her horse lips. "well, you did fall, and broke several bones. Then Pasiphaë put you into a coma and well, that's why Gwen's a Pegasus now." Bianca's eyes widened as she looked at Gwen.

_You know, this is actually kind of funny._ She said.

"Shut up, Gwen."

"You can understand her?" Bianca demanded. "Why can't I?"

"One of the perks of Neptune's blood, though it's kind of annoying to hear her in my head all the time."

_Ha, ha. How about I see how far you'll go if I kick you?_

Percy ignored her.

"We're at Mount Shasta, looking for the Narcissus flower." Percy stood up and heard his back give several cracks.

"What makes you think it's here?" Bianca asked as she stood up. She patted her bow and Reyna's bow, reminding Percy exactly why they were in search of a daffodil.

"Gwen had a hunch."

_Percy? _It wasn't Gwen's voice.

"Gwen, I keep hearing a voice, ever since the bus ride. What do you think it means?"

_You're crazy. _she snorted happily, pleased, apparently, to be able to tell him this.

_You're probably right, _he thought to himself, refusing to admit it.

_Percy! Please, please tell me where you are! I've been looking for you for ages! Percy..._the voice whined.

_Get out of my head! _he thought violently.

_Percy!_

He ignored the voice.

_Percy, _Gwen's voice was back. There were way too many voices in his head. There just needed to be one: his! _If you have to use the bathroom, go behind a tree._

"I don't have to use the bathroom!"

_Your face says otherwise. _Gwen snorted.

"I don't know what kind of conversation you're having, but it's definitely something to watch." Bianca told them. Gwen gave a horsey laugh.

_Let's go find that flower, I'm hungry. _

"Gwen!" Percy scolded.

_What, I can't joke anymore?_

_PERCY! _that voice was really getting on his nerves. Though the voice was familiar. Lots of things were familiar. Maybe the voice just reminded him of someone he knew..._ Please?_

"Percy, are you _sure _you don't have diarrhea or something?" Bianca asked, one hand trying to hide her smile and laughter.

He glared at her.

"Will it be okay with everyone if we actually try to find that silly flower?" Percy asked, a little crossly.

_Sounds great, Perc. Just tell that voice in your head to can it and we'll be on our merry little way._

"Okay, sounds good, Gwen. So can it!" Gwen pulled up some grass and spit it at him.

The forest was green. It got brighter when it began to pour. Percy didn't get wet because he didn't want to and neither did Gwen. Bianca was a whole other story, however. She was soaked to the bone within a minute. She didn't stop shivering until Percy put an arm around her for a second and Gwen put a wing over her.

"Why is it so wet!" Bianca cried, throwing her hands up.

_I don't mind it._ Gwen told Percy, her eyes widening slightly to signal an eyebrow raise.

"How can you guys stand this horrible weather?" Bianca grumbled.

"Weather! Weather! Weather!" a musical voice trilled, getting softer and softer with each word.

"Don't mock me, Percy!" Bianca scowled at him.

"I didn't-"

"Percy! Percy! Percy!"

_That's not creepy. _Gwen told Percy, her whole body stiff.

"Who else is in here!" Percy yelled.

"HERE! HERE!"

Everyone spun around as the voice echoed around the forest. Percy's heart dropped as he realized that there were no birds or animals anywhere. Gwen ruffled her wings and pulled them anxiously to her sides. Bianca was wet again but this time she didn't complain.

Percy had Riptide out and was spinning around and around in circles, feeling like a complete idiot. Water droplets bounced off of Riptide in a musical way. Bianca had her bow out and was scanning the forest with tight eyes. Gwen was flapping her wings every so often, scowling at the trees.

Silence.

They didn't speak and the voice didn't either.

"Are you still there?" Bianca yelled.

"Still! Still!"

The voice was coming from all directions.

"Are you friend or foe?" Percy called.

"Friend! Friend!"

_This person has some verbal issues. _Gwen complained.

"It's like all they know how to do is echo." Bianca whispered.

"ECHO! ECHO!"

Gwen stomped her feet worriedly.

_Just ignore whoever it is. _Gwen warned.

"ECHO!" the voice bellowed. Everyone jumped. Percy gritted his teeth.

"Hey!" he yelled.

"Hey! Hey!" the voice repeated. Percy took off in the direction he thought the voice sounded loudest.

_Percy! _Gwen yelled. She took off after him, Bianca on her tail.

Percy ignored them, crashing through the dense brush. Branches roughly slapped his face and brambles pulled at his clothing but he raced after the whisper.

He tripped over a tree root and plummeted head first into oblivion. But, instead of hitting a tree trunk and feeling like there was a knot on his head, he tumbled onto soft grass. Gwen trotted up next to him.

_Most people _watch _where they're going. You, apparently, don't either have that gift or feel the need to use it._

"Shut up, Gwen."

"I like this place," Bianca said when she got into the clearing, a second slower than Gwen, "We should have camped here instead! Percy, didn't you see this place when you were flying over?"

"No..." Percy stood up slowly, looking around. It was a small clearing but there was definitely a good view of of the full moon. The grass appeared well trimmed and there was a shallow pool of clear water. Next to it was a little yellow flower. "Gwen, did you see this place?"

_Nope, you can't see this place from above. You'd think we could have seen it, we only camped about a fourth of a mile away from it. _Gwen pranced over to the little flower. In the little sanctuary, there was only a light misting. Bianca sighed slightly in relief and looked around.

"I think that person is gone, or something." Bianca told Percy.

"Or something, something." the voice was irritated.

"Show yourself!" Percy commanded, holding Riptide high, in search of the owner.

The air shimmered slightly over the clear blue pool. Gwen tensed. She was on the water's edge.

"Gwen-" Percy started to say.

The air shimmered again, more violently, and a young woman appeared. Her hair was elegantly curled in golden rolls down to her waist. Her eyes were big and brown and might have looked sad if she wasn't trying to kill the three demigods with her glare. She wore a long white dress and looked like a ghost.

"Whoa, who are you?" Percy lowered his sword slightly.

"Who are you, you, you?" she looked at them all individually.

"I'm Percy," Percy pointed to himself, "that's Bianca," he pointed to Bianca, "And that's Gwen. Who are you?"

She looked at them silently.

_Percy, I think she can only repeat things. Try something with the word echo in it, she liked that before._

Percy nodded even though Gwen wasn't looking at him.

"I am Percy." he told her slowly. Her eyes bored into his, "Can you only echo?" She gazed at him silently for a moment.

"I am Echo, am Echo, Echo. Can only echo, echo."

_Perc, do you remember the story on Echo? _

He shook his head. Why did he keep doing that? Gwen wasn't even looking at him.

"Weren't you a maiden or something of like Juno or Venus or someone?" he asked her.

"Juno, Juno, Juno." her voice was full of resentment.

_Percy, _Gwen said in his head, _we need to focus on the quest. Ask Echo if she knows where the 'token' is. She's right next to Narcissus, so she'd notice if anything changed. _

"Good idea, Gwen." Percy told her, "Echo," Echo looked up at him sharply, "We're on a quest. If you could help us, it would be great." her eyes narrowed. "We're trying to find a 'token' next to Narcissus. Do you know anything about it?" Percy saw an emotion flit across Echo's pretty face.

She tapped her bottom lip. She looked up at Percy and nodded once.

"Thanks-"

She held up a finger and he fell silent.

"But?" he asked.

"But, but, but." Echo repeated. She paused a moment, looking at them.

_Charades, _Gwen complained, _I was never good at this game._

Echo pointed to herself then to Percy then to Percy to herself. She shook hands with herself.

"Agreeing?" he asked.

Echo stomped her foot and repeated the action.

"Do you like Percy?" Bianca guessed. Echo glared at her and repeated the action. She shook hands with herself with more passion.

"Compromise?" Percy asked. Echo waved her hands to her, like she was trying to waft a nice smell towards her.

_Try 'Deal'. _Gwen guessed.

"Deal."

Echo nodded her head up and down, clapping her hands together.

"Deal, deal, deal!" she cried happily.

_So, the token for what? _Gwen whispered in Percy's mind.

"What do you want in exchange for the token?" Percy asked. He realized he still had Riptide out so he put the cap on the sword tip and put the pen into his pocket.

Echo cupped her hands around her mouth and opened and closed her mouth rapidly.

"You're throwing up?" Bianca guessed. She got another glare.

"You're mute?" Percy asked. Echo kicked water at him.

"You're shouting!" Bianca called.

"You're cheering?"

_For the gods' sakes! She wants a voice! _Gwen scolded.

"You want a voice?" Percy asked.

"Voice, voice!" Echo sang.

"Gwen, I thought you said you weren't good at this game!" Percy accused. Gwen rolled her eyes.

_Apparently, I'm a whole lot better than you. _

"So," Bianca said, "If we get you a voice, you'll tell us where the token is? That's the deal?"

"Deal, deal!"

"We'll come back tomorrow." Percy promised.

"B, please tell me how we're going to get a voice." Percy doubted it would be that easy. Nothing ever was to a half-blood.

"We're going to take one from someone." Bianca replied matter-of-factly. Percy raised his eyebrows.

"And this unlucky person is just going to say, 'here, creepy little kids, you can have my voice'?" he won a dirty look.

"We're going to take it from a person who's about to die. They won't need their voice."

"And how are we going to do that? Butterfly nets?" Percy snorted.

"I'm the daughter of Pluto," Bianca told him calmly, "I'm sure I'll figure something out."

Percy fell silent. He couldn't argue with that.

Gwen's long green wings beat against the sky silently. Percy wished again that he could fly her down and see what the mortals would do, but, like before, they were on a mission. A time-sensitive mission. Percy didn't even know what day it was, but he was sure they were eating up time.

Gwen's hooves hit the roof with only a slight little _clop-clop_ that could have been taken for a _creak-creak_.

"Percy, come with me," Bianca whispered, "Gwen, stay up here." Gwen nodded her big head up and down. Bianca jerked her head to a small door.

"So, we're breaking into a hospital?" Percy whispered as Bianca picked the door's lock. It creaked open and they both held their breath. No one came running out anywhere to attack them with crutches.

"Pretty much." she slipped into the dark stairwell and Percy closed the door behind them.

_Good luck. _He heard Gwen call in his head. He smiled then turned around and silently rushed down the stairs after Bianca.

"Where did you learn to pick locks?" he asked.

"Um...I think a friend showed me. I think it was...Zoe...she said sometimes you couldn't just whack off locks like...boys..." Bianca quietly laughed, "sometimes you had to be elegant and silent and discreet."

"I don't remember her showing you that." Percy said as they peeked into an empty hallway.

"You don't remember a lot of things." Bianca accused as they snuck down the hallway. Percy hoped no one saw them because they looked like idiots, "Besides, you weren't with me every breathing second. I got some girl time with the Hunters before I died."

_Died. _The word hung in the air like a rotten smell. Yet, with the white walls and odorless hallways they were wandering down, it didn't seem too out of place. He shivered slightly. A hospital shouldn't have seemed like a comfortable place for the word died. Died...past tense.

"I'm sorry." Bianca whispered. Percy started, surprised.

"_What are you children doing in this hallway? Where is your escort? Where are your parents?" _the questions came at them as if they had been fired out of a gun. In front of them was a tall, skinny woman with hair pulled tightly into a high bun. She wore a white scrub dress and her eyes were an empty black. Percy wondered if the woman noticed that he and Bianca were sixteen and seventeen years old and not six or seven.

"Uh." Percy replied.

"Speak up!"

"We're looking for our, uh, grandma. She's really old and she's not going to make it much longer. Do you know where we could find her, we were looking for her."

"Does your grandma have a name?"

"Grandma."

"Don't play with me, little boy."

"Sophie!" Bianca spit out. Percy gave her a look. She raised her eyebrows. He knew the look pretty much said _First name that popped into my head._ He'd just had that moment so he couldn't say really anything.

"Grandma Sophie?" the woman buried herself into a clipboard Percy hadn't noticed her carrying. "Ah, yes, Sophie Martin! You kids know she's in a coma right? They plan to pull the plug on her in...oh, thirty minutes."

"Yeah," Percy lied quickly, "That's why we were trying to find her. You know, before it's too late."

"Hm." the woman said, "I see. Yes, I suppose that makes sense. Room 726 is where you'll find her."

"Thank you, ma'am." Bianca said before she and Percy skirted around the woman and hurried down the hallway.

Room 726 was just a floor down from where they were. Percy knocked on the door then opened it when there was no reply. Inside was a very old woman. Her breathing was slow and labored and sounded more like wheezing instead of breathing. Her hair was white and sparse. Her skin was flabby and thin. For some reason, though, the old woman was beautiful.

It was because her thin lips were stretched into a well-worn smile. Did people in comas usually smile? Percy didn't think so, but this woman obviously did. The unsteady beep-beep-beep of the heart monitor made Percy remember Clipboard Lady and how the old lady was supposed to die in about half an hour.

"How are you going to take her voice?" Percy whispered.

"She needs to give it to us." Bianca replied as if that was the most common thing in the world.

"So we're going to get a lady who's in a coma to talk to us?"

"Yes." Bianca replied a little doubtfully.

"How should we wake her up?"

"Maybe death will rouse her." Bianca spoke to herself quietly.

"What? No, B!" Percy grabbed her hand.

"I'm not going to kill her, Percy. Let go."

Chill bumps rose on his arms. He let her go. Bianca's clammy fingers touched the woman's cheek and the smile the woman had been merrily sporting vanished. Bianca pulled her hand way and the heart monitor began to beep faster and faster. Slowly, the heart rate slowed, but it was faster than it had been before. Carefully, Bianca touched the woman again. The monitor began its fretful incline.

"The hospital will come in soon to see what's wrong." Bianca muttered, irritated as the woman still did not wake.

"Give her a break, she's been asleep for a while." Percy patted the woman's bony hand. To his surprise, the heart rate decreased to almost the starting point. Bianca glared at him.

"Stop trying to make her feel better right now, we need her awake if we're going to get that voice and save Reyna."

_Save Reyna. _

Bianca pressed her fingers a little harder into the woman's loose cheek. The heart monitor went wild but Bianca didn't remove her hand. Percy's whole body stiffened as the woman's face twisted in pain.

"Bianca!"

She jerked her hand back and glanced at Percy. Her Roman Mask wasn't very secure. Percy could slightly see the fear in Bianca's eyes. A low moan came out of nowhere and they looked down to see the old lady's eyes fluttering.

"Sophie? Sophie Martin?" Percy whispered. Twin dark eyes looked at him. They must have been black at one point, but they were covered in cataracts and lazy with sleep now. She tried to focus in on Bianca and Percy.

"Yes? Who's there? I can't see at all. Is that you, Billy? Jane, are you with him?"

"No." Bianca told her. "We're not Billy and Jane. We're Bianca and Percy."

"You're not my babies?"

"No, ma'am, we're not." Percy answered.

"Where are my babies?"

"We don't know." Bianca told her.

"How long have I been sleeping?"

"We don't know."

"You don't know a lot." Sophie tried to sit up. Her arms shook and she collapsed back into her bed. "Why are you here?"

"Um, this is kind of random...but we need your help." Percy coughed.

"Help?" Sophie's misty eyes slowly traveled from Bianca to Percy.

"We need your voice."

"My voice?" Sophie squinted her eyes. She tried to lean forward but quickly fell back. "What do you need my voice for?"

Percy glanced at Bianca.

"Um, a good cause?"

"I'll make you a deal." Sophie said, her eyes trying to focus on them.

"What kind of deal?" Bianca replied, glancing at Percy. _One deal after another...what kind of deal will this one be?_ Percy thought to himself.

"Find out what happened to my babies and I'll let you take my voice."

"You actually believe we can?" Bianca asked.

"I thought you said you could!" Percy accused.

"Shut up, I can."

Sophie watched them quietly.

"I have seen many things, children. I no longer doubt anything." Sophie told them in a shaky voice. For a second, it seemed that her cataracts cleared up and Percy could see her eyes and a deep pain that reached back years. "Do we have a deal?"

"Deal." Percy told her, taking her frail hand.

"Okay, so," Bianca glanced back to the door Sophie's nurse had slipped into and had run out yelling 'SHE'S AWAKE!'. "About twenty people just went in there, Sophie's over a hundred years old, and how are we going to find out where her 'babies' are? Libraries are murder on dyslexia and monsters are going to pop up any second we stay in an area for too long! Three of the most powerful half-bloods have the strongest scent on the plant! Please tell me you have some sort of plan simmering in that head of yours."

"I'm no child of Minerva...but I think I have an idea." Percy answered. "Let's get Gwen."

_Do you know how boring it is up here all by myself! _Gwen screamed in his head as soon as he and Bianca opened the door to the roof.

"Sorry, Gwen. But we have other things to deal with-like how we have a new deal we need to fulfill to get the first deal we made."

_Only you. Work for work. Great. What is it this time? _For some reason, Gwen's voice sounded chipper. Only Gwen would cheerfully chew someone out. Percy grinned. Bianca glared at them, unhappy to only have half of the conversation.

"We need to find out what happened to Sophie's children."

_Who's children?_

"Sophie, she's the old lady Bianca woke up out of a coma who agreed to give us her voice."

_Okay...And, how, dear brother, do you plan to find what happened to Sophie's children? _Gwen's green eyes glared at him.

"Yeah, hoping you might have an idea about that." Percy replied, grinning at her.

_Three words for you: World. Wide. Web._

"The Internet?"

_Bingo._

People gaped at the little group as they marched into the library. Secretly, Percy was a little worried about how this library would look after they left.

"Let's get in, get info, get out." He whispered. "Gwen, you really shouldn't have come."

_Don't be a baby, I won't eat too many books. _

"Not funny. There are mortals everywhere." there really were. Unless Bianca clung to Percy and stayed in between the children of Neptune, she was going to become one with the floor. Percy himself had gotten stepped on and tussled and elbowed in the gut. People steered clear of Gwen as much as they could. Again, Percy wondered what they saw. Did they see two teenagers leading a horse into a library? Did they see an odd looking person?

Once they'd finally waded into the back of the library (who knew people liked libraries so much in this city?) Percy jumped forward to snag a chair with a computer that had just opened up. Bianca and Gwen pressed up against him to avoid the masses and see what he was looking for. Bianca's hand touched his bare arm. Goose bumps rose slightly but, in the presence of Gwen, he hardly had any trouble at all with involuntary shakes.

He pulled up the Internet. The Google home screen popped up with something about Scooby-Doo.

"Sophie Martin," Bianca's soft voice said in his ear.

"Right..." he murmured, glad she could remember the last name. He typed in the name and pressed _SEARCH. _Within a heartbeat, all the different web links sprawled before him. The first one was a link leading to a news site. He clicked on the title. The story popped up.

_**Local Family Tragedy **_

_The Martin family including Sophie and Charles Martin, their children, William and Jane Simmons, and their grandchildren, Annie and Jeremy Simmons had a horrible tragedy just yesterday, Wednesday. On the family's way from a public store to shop for Christmas decorations, a drunk driver, driving down the road with the family, veered into them until eventually managing to drive them off the road. Their vehicle was pushed down a steep hill. Annie and Jeremy were severely injured but were surrounded by pillows when the incident occurred. Sophie, who was in the back with the children, was thrown into a coma. It was determined that she was to remain on life support for five years if she didn't wake up. The rest of the family was killed. Instantly, more or less._

_Story by Sammie June, Journalist in training. _

_Are you going to bring that to her? _Gwen asked quietly.

"Yes. She wanted the true. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth." Percy told her, pressing PRINT on the computer.

"The news may kill her, Percy."

"We made a _deal._"

Percy met Bianca's black eyes.

Getting back into Sophie's room was harder than it was at first. It ended up being Gwen who followed them into the hospital then had a fake seizure on the floor. Everyone was probably just seeing a horse but every able bodied nurse rushed to help her. Bianca and Percy easily slipped back into Sophie's room. She looked at them. The smile that Percy had first met Sophie with brightened her face.

"I haven't spoken a word to anyone since I woke up." Sophie told them proudly. Percy grinned at her. She sounded like a little preschooler bragging that they'd held their breath for three whole seconds. "Have you brought news?" she asked, her frail voice holding notes of nerves.

"We have news." Bianca replied, her voice dead.

Neither of them brought forward the piece of paper with the news.

"Well?" Sophie prompted.

"We're really sorry, Sophie." Percy slowly handed her the article.

Sophie squinted at it eagerly then her face fell.

"I can't read it, dears, my eyes...please. I must know." Bianca slowly took it from her trembling hands and read it. Percy was silent. It seemed even worse when Bianca read it in her dead voice.

Sophie was silent for a few seconds but they felt like years dragging by. Then she smiled.

Bianca and Percy froze.

"My grandchildren are still alive, somewhere. You woke me up, demigods. Thank you. I can see them again. I give you my voice." Sophie's eyes brimmed over with tears. Bianca nodded silently. She held her hand out and closed her eyes. Sophie turned paler then Bianca's hand was a tight fist.

"Good bye, Sophie. Thank you." Percy waved to the old woman.

Who smiled.

_**9: How Many Hydra Heads Does It Take to Eat a Faun?**_

**As they flew over the trees** in a mad race to get back to Echo with Sophie's voice, Gwen snarled complaints Percy's way.

_Do you see what I have on? _she snapped, _I am in a hospital gown and it does not feel good. It smells like dead things-no offense B-and it is just UGLY. Percy, what took you so long? Do you have any idea how many freaking electrical charges they send up my legs? A few of those guys were in danger of coming out a few less body bits!_

"Shut up, Gwen." Percy replied pleasantly, smiling.

Gwen dove then and dragged him and Bianca through some thick trees, sure to maneuver in such a way that, incredibly, Bianca was unruffled and Percy was knocked fiercely in the head with any moderate sized branch. She landed a little too hard on the ground. Echo appeared suddenly, her eyes glittering with expectations. Bianca slipped off Gwen's back and Percy jumped off. Gwen knocked him in the head "accidentally" with her wing.

"Cut it out, Gwen! Echo, we bring you our part of the deal." Percy announced.

"Deal! Deal!" Echo cried eagerly.

"'Kay, B. Give it to her." Percy said quietly.

"Give it to her. Give it to her." Echo leaned forward, fingers outstretched, eyes sparkling with want.

Bianca took a timid step forward and opened her fist she'd kept tightly closed since Sophie'd given her consent. A dancing mist rose out of the palm of her hand and floated towards Echo. It danced at her fingers, just out of reach, before zooming into her throat with a speed that caught Percy by surprise. Echo's face fell into a smile.

Something was wrong.

Gwen shifted on her hooves nervously.

_Danger, danger..._Her voice whispered to him. He wanted to glance back and see what she looked like but somehow he knew: stance strong, muscles tense, eyes too wide.

"Thank you, little heroes." Echo's voice seemed to be a mixture of her own scrap of a voice and a younger version of Sophie's. Percy didn't like to here the nice old woman's voice coming out of Echo's mouth when Echo had such a horrible leer on her face. "I can't tell you how much this means to me." Then her face transformed into something wild and crazy. She lunged at Bianca suddenly. Percy saw the glint of a knife.

He was in front of Bianca, shield out, Riptide slashing at Echo. He didn't know how he'd gotten to Bianca so fast, but, however he had, he was seriously impressed. Echo lunged away from Riptide, hissing as she did.

"Echo! We carried out a _deal!" _Bianca said in a pleading voice.

"Did we swear on the River Styx? No! Ha! As if I would truly tell you the secret to your riddle!"

"But we helped you, we gave you a voice!" Percy snapped, taking another ill-aimed swing at her. Gwen chewed him out in his head.

"And now you will give me your body, powerful demigod. My love has lain here without a body because of the gods! My love and I will be together thanks to the offspring of our enemies! Thank you, children of the gods!"

"Juno will come and take that voice away from you again!" Bianca yelled, furious, her bow out, carefully taking aim, "And Venus will make Narcissus fall in love with himself again! No matter what you say with your new voice, you'll always be a shadow to him! He'll always love another!"

"SHUT UP!" Echo paused, grinning at the use of her new voice.

"You like your voice so much?" Bianca growled. Percy felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he blocked her attack. "Here's something that might interest you: _Hail, hail, unworthy one. Be thee unsavory for thy new ton? Bye, bye, little treasure, if thy cannot measure!" _The dancing light of Sophie's voice jerked out of Echo's throat. Echo soundlessly gasped and grabbed desperately at it. Sophie's voice danced away from her. "Leave." Bianca ordered it. Swiftly, the light flew away. Gwen huffed happily.

Echo's face filled with pure hatred. She lunged again at Bianca. Percy moved to stop her again but this time he didn't have to. A loud _thrum! _echoed in the still forest. A long, beautiful arrow stuck out of Echo's chest. She stared at it, seemingly unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Then she slowly melted back into the air.

Percy jerked around to look at Bianca who was staring quite nonchalantly at the place Echo had been, her bow empty and lightly vibrating.

_Remind me not to piss her off. _Gwen clucked appreciatively. Percy laughed and Bianca's stony face melted off to be replaced with a timid smile.

"B, that was incredible! How'd you do that?"

"If I knew I'd tell you." her smile slipped off, "So we're no closer to getting our clue, are we?"

"Nope." Percy sighed.

_Think! _Gwen hissed, _Why wouldn't Echo give us our end of the bargain? Just because she wanted you? I think there's more here that meets the eye. What would Echo be protective over enough that she wouldn't want any of us near? Well?_

Percy's eyes fell on the Narcissus flower that looked a little weepy while it stared at its reflection in the clear pool of water. He looked back at Gwen and she gave him a funky looking horse smirk. Suddenly he was in a different world, with a different group of friends. A faun was nervously eating cans while the girl-_Annabeth_-was trying to talk to him. She was devising a plan but he was so entranced by how her hair bounced around her shoulders in its pony tail and how her gray eyes narrowed when she realized he didn't even remember his name at that moment and how her mouth pressed into a cute smile when she thought of something that would surely snap him out of his daze so she could get her plan out.

Then he was back to the present. Bianca hadn't seemed to notice he had left her world, she was crouched next to the daffodil, worried to touch it. Gwen, however, had seen it. Her whole being radiated some emotion Percy couldn't quite figure out. He just knew she wasn't happy. Maybe that her feelings were hurt.

_Go look at that stupid flower. _Gwen snapped at him. He flinched at the hurt outlining every syllable in her voice.

"Gwen, I-"

_Just go. _

He sighed but went over to Bianca and crouched down next to her. The Narcissus flower was truly beautiful, there was no doubt about that.

"B, what was the riddle again?"

"_Prove your worth for the girl's power/Find the clue near the Greek flower/ Tick, tick, goes the clock/The Underworld's doors -"  
>"<em>That's enough, B, I don't need to be reminded on how much of a _jerk _this creep is." he smiled lightly at her, "So, the clue is _near _Narcissus. It isn't just Narcissus. See anything not green near it?"

They played around in the grass, searching, prying. Bianca flinched every time some grass began to wither and die if she touched it for too long with her bare hands. He paused and watched her take in a deep breath then concentrate on not killing anything.

Gwen's large nose was suddenly pushing Bianca over a little bit. She set her nose right next to Narcissus and inhaled deeply. The flower's petals and leaves raised up as if Gwen's nose was a vacuum. Which it was.

"Gwen-"

"Shh, Percy!" Bianca whispered. "Animals can smell better than humans! Possessed demigods can smell better than normal demigods."

_Great, now I'm "possessed"?_

Percy didn't answer because he knew Gwen didn't want him to.

_In the ground. _Gwen's voice was breathy, _There's something in the ground! Pull the flower up then get it and plant him again. No harm done-just get the flower out!_

Percy pulled out Riptide, and, though he had no idea if he should do it or if he might sever several of Narcissus's roots or kill the flower, he plunged Riptide into the dirt and pushed sideways like a lever. The flower popped out of the dirt and lay limply in the grass. There was no dirt on the roots but there was a glint of bronze wrapped tightly in them.

_Monsters. _Gwen whispered. Her voice unbelieving. Her voice desperate. Her eyes as big as saucers.

Percy pulled at the stupid daffodil's roots. They popped and snapped until he managed to pull the bronze coin out. He had no time to look at it, he just stuffed it into his pocket and threw Narcissus back into the earth. He patted the dirt around the poor, abused flower then nodded to Bianca and his sister. It was time to go.

_Go where? _Gwen whispered. He looked up at her, ready to answer "That's a very good question" when he didn't see her anymore.

"PERCY!" the voice that had been bugging him earlier cried. He saw the silhouette of a small figure, pressed up against a tree, a monster towering over the poor person. There were seven heads all screaming at the air, exalting at the thought of eating their captured prey.

A miserable scream split the air.

Gwen's eyes widened suddenly. Bianca yanked on Percy's arm and he thoughtlessly jumped on Gwen's back. They were suddenly streaking though the woods, branches slapping them in the face. The woods looked sinister and creaked towards the trio with seemingly malicious movements. The entire time the screaming didn't stop. They burst through the trees into yet another clearing that had been invisible from the skies.

The screaming stopped.

"Help!" a voice cried desperately.

It felt as though the group had rehearsed what they were about to do. Without the slightest hesitation, Bianca rolled off Gwen and pulled out her bow. As Gwen and Percy galloped around the Hydra, Bianca shot arrows in rapid, scary-accurate succession while she ran the opposite way.

Gwen's hooves been against the ground.

Percy seemed to see and feel everything. The rhythm of her hooves. The sweat dripping down his brow. Bianca's cool eyes. The sting of the Hydra's acid spit. The uneven breaths of the faun. Everything.

Then everything sped up.

Percy leaned sideways and grabbed the faun with one arm, hoisting him up and throwing him in front of himself. Gwen pushed off from the ground and flew into the air. She tore back down to the Hydra and circled around it in tight circles. It hissed angrily at her.

"B!" Percy yelled as the world started to spin and turn in funny directions, "Find some fire!"

"MOVE, GWEN!" Bianca yelled. Gwen pitched upwards, a move too steep for Percy's queasy stomach.

The same moment Bianca rolled out of the way of a stream of acid and shot a volley of arrows, all flashing with black flames, was the same exact moment that Percy leaned away from Gwen and lost whatever food he'd eaten previously. The Hydra's heads all looked up at him to see what idiot had just blown chunks all over them when Bianca's arrows hit.

Suddenly, three heads were lying on the ground, the stumps on the body smoking. Gwen gave a scream that sounded like a mix of a pissed off horse and a war-cry of Gwen. She spun around the Hydra again, Percy's stomach groaning in protest. He swallowed back the bile, determined to not puke his guts out on the monster. Again.

Gwen swooped back up. He heard the whisk of air as another attack of arrows whistled through the air. He glanced back. One head left, spraying green acid like it was going out of style. Gwen screamed as it caught the very tip of one of her back hooves.

"HEY!" Percy bellowed furiously.

The Hydra jerked its head up at him. He saw the acid pool in its open mouth as it prepared to spit it at him. Then the head was free-falling. The acid spilled out of its useless mouth and fell on its brothers' heads. The hopeless body fell down and disintegrated into a fine monster dust.

The dust began to inch towards itself. Percy's mouth fell open. He'd forgotten about that fun stuff. Gwen swooped down and Bianca jumped on behind him. Then they were flying as fast a Gwen's wings could carry them. No one spoke. No one breathed. No one thought. Until Gwen fell.

She gave another miserable yell and her wings were suddenly straight and limp as they fell through the air.

"GWEN!" Percy yelled in her ear, squishing the unknown faun to her neck, "YOU HAVE TO LAND! DON'T JUST GIVE UP! LISTEN!"

_I can't...it hurts too much...Percy...I just want it to stop...please...just let me die and...let this pain end now..._

"IF I TOLD YOU THAT!" He continued to scream urgently in her ear as the ground came into sight: green, large, flat, hard. "YOU'D KICK MY BUTT THEN TELL ME TO TRY AGAIN BECAUSE I HAD TO AND IT IS THE RIGHT THING! IT'S MY TURN, GWEN! TRY AGAIN! NOW!"

_Please don't make me..._

Her voice was heart breaking.

"NOW!" he bellowed.

Gwen's wings jerked out and then everyone jerked down as they suddenly stopped their mad race to die. They glided towards the ground, a little too fast for comfort, dropping dramatically every so often when Gwen faltered. They hit the ground and Bianca, Percy, and the faun pitched off Gwen's back and fell heavily onto the ground.

Percy swore the ground moved ever so slightly, as if remembering where they fell. But he had just flown off a Pegasus so he was probably prone to hallucinating just a little. Besides, didn't the ground shift a little when you plowed into it?

"PERCY!" Bianca's voice was shrill. A feeling of dread filled him. If the daughter of Pluto was scared, he probably should be too. He jumped to his feet, ignoring that the world was spinning way too fast.

Gwen lay limply on the ground, her whole body and posture screaming: defeated! Forget about me!

He refused to allow it.

Her back leg was swollen and bloody. The leg that had gotten Hydra poison all over the very tip.

"Ambrosia! Nectar!" Bianca ordered, clawing at Percy's backpack.

"Water." he whispered.

Bianca lifted Gwen's big horse head and pored some nectar into her mouth then stuffed some ambrosia in and made her teeth chomp up and down. Percy couldn't loose Gwen.

He looked around desperately.

"She needs water!" he growled. Feeling something feral inside himself clawing dangerously up his throat as he realized that if Gwen didn't get water, she wouldn't be smiling when she knocked him down at sword play again.

"Here." the faun pulled off a water pouch that was around his neck. Percy took it eagerly.

"Thank you-you have no idea how much this means." Percy said, relief flooding every nerve of his body. He took the pouch and dumped in on Gwen's leg. She didn't scream even though her wound began to smoke and pop. Instead, her body relaxed. Percy hadn't even realized she was _that _tense. Before everyone, the wound began to heal and pop louder until there was nothing there to mark why they'd even crash landed.

"PERCY JACKSON! You're a genius!" Bianca cried, probably the loudest thing Percy'd ever heard her say.

"Percy Jackson?"

Percy turned around to the faun. They finally had a chance to look at each other. The faun was small but looked like he might have a fair chance in a fight with a rabbit. His hair was brown and curly and his eyes were a shade warmer. His skin was slightly tan with spots of acne. The faun's eyes widened with recognition. Percy himself felt something nagging at him but he couldn't figure out what.

"Percy! I can't believe I didn't recognize you at first! What's wrong? Don't you recognize me?" his voice sounded hurt.

Percy shook his head slowly, feeling like he was meeting Gwen all over again.

"Percy, I'm one of your best friends. I've been searching and searching for you. I'm Grover."

Then Percy remembered.


	4. Chapter 4

_**10: Grover Gives a Concert at Dairy Queen**_

**Percy could see him and Grover** first meeting in a school cafeteria. He saw Grover nervously laughing to try to calm Percy down. Grover picking sandwich bits out of his curly hair while Percy ground his teeth. Grover tucking his head and trying to lie to Percy. Grover watching Percy's reaction as he he shuffled nervously on a pair of goat hooves. Grover trying to play some songs on his reed pipe while Percy nodded and grimaced encouragingly. Grover flying down a hill like a crazy lawnmower. Grover shifting uncomfortably next to Tyson. Grover's face lighting up while a rubber rat suddenly came to life and took off. Grover's determined face when he decided to branch off the group and search for Pan. Grover dancing around madly while he caused roots and vines to grow up and bind Kronos. He and Grover sitting and just having a good laugh about something.

Percy blinked. He had no idea how long he had just stared off into oblivion, trying to come to grips with the sudden flood of memories Grover had evoked on him. Apparently, it was long enough that everyone had decided he'd had some kind of seizure because he was on Gwen, Grover in front of him, Bianca behind. He blinked and shook his head slightly. Grover turned around at his movement.

"Are you okay, Percy?" Grover asked in his familiar voice.

"Just...trying to sort my head out..." Percy mumbled, then he grinned, "It's so good to see you, man!"

_Someone had a Memory Attack. _Gwen's voice was teasing but he could here the tightness in it.

"Yeah." Percy replied, irritated that she was being so ridiculous. What was her deal with him remembering? _Girls, _he thought to himself.

"Where have you been?" Grover demanded.

"How about-" Bianca started.

"Bianca di Angelo?" Grover's mouth fell open.

"-we discuss all this over some food?" she finished as if Grover hadn't spoken. As if on cue, everyone's stomachs growled. Percy groaned a little as he rubbed his stomach. He felt as if it had turned into a black hole. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten anything since camp and hadn't drunk anything since Mrs. M's tea.

He pitched forward a little as Gwen dove down.

He didn't know where they were. He didn't really care. All he could really concentrate on was the Dairy Queen menu. He wanted to order everything but he settled with a couple double cheeseburgers. He bought another for Gwen then went outside to enjoy the nice coastal breeze and inhale his Coke-which wasn't blue.

"What do we do now?" Percy asked quietly. His straw made a loud sucking noise as it inhaled air along with what was left of the soda.

_You're going to give yourself a stomach ache, genius. That much fluid on an empty stomach is NOT good. _

"Thanks, _Mom._" Percy felt his stomach roll uncomfortably, confirming how right Gwen was. He decided not to show it. "I feel fine."

_Liar. _Gwen sung in his head.

"Shut up."

"This is great!" Grover bubbled as he and Bianca came and sat down, slurping their own drinks. "I should play some music!"

"I love music!" a little girl from the next table cried. Grover froze as all the other outdoor tables' occupants shifted in their seats to look at him. The Lady Gaga song that had been singing on the radio was turned down. A few employees stuck their heads out to listen.

Percy could practically see the gears in Grover's head whirl as he tried to talk himself down and calm.

_Give him some encouragement! _Gwen scolded, her voice sounding a little tired, _The gods know he needs some. _

"You can do it, Grover! Just imagine everyone in their underwear!" he realized almost immediately he should have gone for: Just stare at a random brick on the wall 'cause no one else is here! Grover's face turned cherry red. Percy watched him glance quickly around, turning redder and redder. Grover licked his lips then put the reed pipe to them and blew.

The hair on the back of Percy's neck stood up. Bianca straightened. Gwen whinnied and took several steps back. The sound that issued from Grover's musical instrument was a miserable type of screaming. It was the screaming that had alerted the Roman trio to Grover's peril. He'd never actually screamed (that loud at least) while in the face of a Hydra. He'd been trying to play a tune.

"Well!" Percy bellowed to be heard over the pipe, "That was wonderful, Grover! Why don't you sit down and eat now? Get those calories up!" Grover collapsed in his chair at "sit". No one commented on Grover's performance. They probably would have had to shout to hear one another and they were much too stunned. An employee came out and gave them their food.

"Thanks." Percy said, grabbing his burger and taking one big, blissfully cheesy and unhealthy bite. Pure heaven.

"Uh," the employee shuffled her feet nervously. They all looked at her. Her name tag read KIM. "Are you Percy Jackson?" she asked, looking around quickly as if something was going to jump out and eat her.

"That's me." Percy said. His hand traveled to his pocket and gripped Riptide firmly, hoping he wouldn't have to fight a monster at the moment.

"Here." she stuffed a receipt at him then took off like her pants were on fire. Percy blinked. He looked down at the receipt. Instead of orders and amounts, there was another riddle.

_Bring a leaf of a god's love_

_The one hurt by a son of the dove. _

"I think he's running out of stupid rhymes." Percy said, after reading the riddle out loud.

_I'm going to kick you if he gives us a REALLY long one next time. G_wen threatened, glaring at him. She took another bite out of her cheeseburger. Apparently, her horse appearance didn't affect her Gwen appetite. Percy smirked into his burger, inhaling the rest of it and starting on the next one.

Grover thoughtfully finished his salad then began to eat the wax paper.

"_Bring a leaf of a god's love/ the one hurt by a son of the dove." _Grover took a fistful of napkins and began to greedily chomp on them.

"We're NOT going to another library." Bianca said, taking a moment to slurp her Sprite.

"You guys went to a library?" Grover asked, grinning through his mouthful of napkins. "Three really powerful dyslexic demigods went into a library? How'd that work out?" he grabbed another handful of napkins.

"The library went up in flames." Bianca replied nonchalantly.

Grover nodded, trying to look wise. It might have worked if he didn't have bits of napkin in his little goatee. Percy grinned into his burger.

"So, Grover, Mr. Experience, what do you think the riddle means?" Percy asked.

"Riddles require some thinking, Percy! You can't rush brilliance!" Grover sat up straighter and put a hand to his chest in a very proper way. Gwen was laughing hysterically inside Percy's head, her breath a little short.

"Meaning," Bianca said in a very low voice, "you have no idea."

"That's not what I said!" Grover bleated, stuffing even more napkins into his mouth.

"Yeah, can we get a napkin refill?" Percy called. Grover turned red.

"Well," Grover started defensively, "We need to find a tree or bush that a god loved."

"That could take years." Percy interjected, "Practically every god fell in love with every nymph in the history of mythology!"

"I wasn't done!" Grover snapped.

They waited.

"I thought you said you weren't done." Bianca slurped some more of her Sprite.

"I'm thinking!" he pressed his fingers to his temples then grabbed Percy's soda and began to greedily eat the Styrofoam.

"Hey! I wanted a refill!"

"So we're looking for a nymph that a son of Aphrodite hurt?"

"Venus." Percy corrected. Grover glared at him.

"While I'm Greek and you're Greek, we're going by Greek names!" he nodded hard.

"I think that's the most confidence you've ever shown before, man, congrats!" Percy applauded quietly, finishing off his last cheeseburger.

"Yeah, well, don't want to loose you to too much Roman thinking." Grover replied.

_Don't want to loose you..._ the words echoed hollowly in his mind. He stared sadly at his empty basket while the words replayed over and over in his mind. He shook his head.

"What about the god Apollo?" he volunteered.

"Hm?" Bianca asked.

"You know, Cupid and Apollo were kind of at each other's throats a few times. Cupid is the son of Venus."

"Where are you getting Venus from the riddle?" Bianca asked, looking at the riddle over and over.

"The dove." Grover answered, stopping his vigorous inhaling of Percy's soda cup, "It's Aphrodite's symbol-or one of them."

"Gwen, what do you think?" Percy glanced over. "_Gwen?" _he jumped up and leaned over the rail.

_Chill, hot-shot. _Gwen's voice sounded frail. She was laying on the ground. Her whole body looking tired. Percy jumped over the rail.

"Is it the Hydra poison?" he asked, touching the hoof it had hit. The foot looked completely fine. "What wrong, Gwen?" Bianca and Grover leaned over the rail.

_Nothing..._ Her voice was breathy.

"It's me." Bianca whispered. Percy didn't look behind him, he held Gwen's feeble gaze.

"Don't be silly," he said, "this isn't your fault."

"Think about it, Percy!" Bianca cried, "She lost her necklace to Mrs. M! It was only a matter of time before the effects of my soul sucking hers took its toll! I feel great! She doesn't! It's just like it was before your dad gave her that special necklace! We need to get her to some water."

"You're probably right." Percy sighed, resting his hand on Gwen's cool neck. "But how on earth are we going to move a full grown Pegasus to the water that's at least two miles away?"

Silence.

"Hitchhike?" Grover asked quietly.

"Like who's going to let a horse into their car?" Percy replied skeptically.

"Who said anything about a car?" Grover replied.

Percy looked up to see a horse trailer idling next to the street.

"Hey!" he yelled, jumping to his feet, "Hey, mister!" He ran around the front of the mint-green Ford pick-up and waved at the scruffy looking cowboy dude in the front seat. "Could you give my friends and I a ride down to the water? Our horse is sick and there's a doctor next to the coast that can help her." the cowboy looked at Percy a moment.

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged his shoulders then lit a cigarette, "Ya'll gotta sit in the horse trailer, though."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Percy replied.

It took the cowboy, his two friends, Percy, Bianca, and Grover (stumbling over his fake feet) to pick up Gwen and heave her into the horse trailer. Grover had to stop helping when he fell and one of his feet fell off. A little girl had tugged on her mother's hand ("Mommy, that boy doesn't have any feet!" "That's nice, dear. It's bad to eat candy anyway.")

The cowboy helped them carry Gwen to the sand where he tipped his hat to Bianca then high tailed it back to his truck, probably worried they would ask him to help them carry Gwen to the doctor's house.

Percy took Gwen's front feet, Bianca took her back feet, and Grover pushed on her back and, together, they hauled and pushed and pulled until they managed to drag Gwen to the water's edge. No one was paying attention to the three crazy teenagers who were dragging a horse into the ocean. Percy glanced around them, closed his eyes, and swept his arms away from the sea. The waves lept forward eagerly and sucked Gwen into the ocean.

Percy was about to jump into the water to make sure Gwen could still breath in Pegasus form when he saw a bare foot. He thought it was a mortal at first, taking a tip, about to find a horse, when Gwen's head popped up over the waves. He could only see to her chin but she was very human. He started to rush in.

"No! No! No!" she cried, holding up her hands. He stopped, puzzled. _Now what was her deal? _"I'm skinny-dipping." she explained.

Percy backed out of the water as if someone had just yelled "shark attack". Gwen laughed.

"Why don't you have any clothes on?" he yelled at her. The people closest to him looked out at her. Gwen blushed.

"He's joking!" she yelled to them. They nodded and returned to their business. She glared at him. "How many Pegasi do you see wandering around with shorts on? Besides, my clothes didn't really fit to this form."

"Oh." Percy sat down, not really sure what to do. He was really glad to see her in her human form but he just didn't know what to do about her being _naked. _It was just a whole new realm of weird he didn't want to explore. Or think about. _His sister._

"She's really a girl." Grover said. "I mean, I had my doubts about her but she could have just been a Pegasi with a particular appetite. Who is she?" he pulled off his satchel and plucked out a few tin cans.

"Guinevere Jackson." Percy replied, his voice ringing with a brotherly pride, "My twin sister."

"Your _what?" _Grover demanded, choking on his tin can.

"My twin sister."

"Boys!" Gwen yelled, "Hate to interrupt your _lovely _conversation but could you, I don't know, _get me some_ _freaking clothes!" _

"How?" Percy replied.

Bianca sighed, unzipped his backpack, pulled out a pair of his tan shorts and a purple T-shirt and threw it into the water. Gwen's head disappeared along with the clothes. Then she reappeared.

"Any chance you have a bra?"

Bianca dug around again and threw a black bra into the water. Percy closed his eyes. _Too much information. Way too much. _

Gwen disappeared then resurfaced a moment later. She walked out of the deep water then sat down next to Percy, still in the water. She didn't have a hair band so her hair was waving to its full extent.

"What were we talking about?" Percy turned back to Grover.

_Percy. _

"Gwen, are you taking to me?"

"Does it look like I'm talking to you?" she replied, pushing her hair back behind her ears.

_Percy._

"Gwen, that's not funny."

"Is little Percy hearing voices again?" Gwen rolled her eyes.

_Come into the water._

"Gwen, you're creeping me out." Percy glared at her.

"Whatever you're hearing, crazy, it's not me."

_Gwen._

Gwen's whole body seized up and she jerked her head towards Percy, her eyes narrowing.

_Come down into the water._

Then Gwen dived. She just stood up and dove into shallow water that probably would have hurt if she hadn't been a daughter of Neptune. Percy dove after her, cursing her crazy thoughts.

Gwen was fast. She knew how to move the waves around her and she was simply a quick swimmer to begin with. Percy fought after her. They went deeper and deeper, the mysterious voice coaxing them on, until it stopped. Gwen stopped and Percy crashed into her. She slapped at him, then laughed and wrapped him in a hug. He twirled her around.

"Welcome, twins of Poseidon." they twirled around.

"Neptune, actually." Gwen replied quietly, running a finger down her arm. The beautiful water lady tilted her head to the side.

"The Romans have done well to make you believe that, Guinevere."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, putting his arm around Gwen's waist protectively, "When we were born, Gwen had more Roman in her so they took her and I had more Greek in me, so they let my mom keep me."

"Have they fooled you too, Perseus? Twins are special cases, that's true. And it's understandable why the Romans would want their fair share of demigod, given you are twins of Poseidon." the woman's smile widened when they waited for more. "When twins are born, they have more god in them than mortal-it's not just a straight half line. Twins are notorious for mixing up things-so their actual purpose is probably to reunite the Roman and Greek demigods. Anyway, there are such demigods as those that one has more Greek and the other has more Roman, however, you are not that type. You are as you should be. Identical. Literally. If you hadn't had a god for a parent, both of you would have been boys or girls. That is your special part: identical twins with different genders. That's one for the science books, eh?"

"So what are you saying?" Gwen asked in a small voice, cuddling closer to Percy.

"I'm saying you both have the same genetic codes. You both have the same scents. If a monster went looking for Percy, he could find Gwen and be satisfied. The point is, you are both mainly Greek with a touch of Roman. Enough to be considered half demigods, but too much to be considered Roman. You are both Greek."

"Then why'd they take me?" Gwen asked.

"We covered this, dear, they wanted a powerful demigod. They probably saw it as 'keeping the balance'. They were thinking in terms of war what twins of Poseidon could do to them. Or for them. They chose the girl because she was the second born, the smaller, and female. It would have been more of an outrage if they'd taken the boy."

"They lied to me." Gwen whispered, only loud enough for Percy to hear, "I guess it doesn't surprise me, though. Romans would do anything if they thought it would give them an edge in war."

"Incredibly," the woman said, smoothing out her dress, "this is not what I called you down here for. I had no desire to have a long discussion about your genetic codes and your parents and what Romans and Greeks do." she made a face, "Gwen, if you step out of the water without control, you'll be a Pegasi again."

"I kind of figured as much." Gwen said in a nonchalant voice. True to her Roman training, she had controlled herself. A_ll my pent up feelings just come out in a tidal wave that's dangerous for anyone too close…_the memory came out of nowhere. It was what Gwen had told Percy about her and Roman emotions. He realized that was probably what she was doing now: hiding it.

"The spell you were cast with was long-term. It pulls out the animal within you. It sets you free with yourself. But to be able to freely shift back and forth without hurting yourself, others, and clothes is something that requires acceptance and control. I think you can do it, with a little practice."

"I think I can too." Gwen said.

"Good Pegasi." Percy cooed. She socked him in the stomach.

"Good bye, twins of Poseidon."

She disappeared into the water.

"Practice makes perfect, Gwen!" Percy coaxed.

"Why don't you tell Grover and B to chill while I practice and you get beat-up?" Gwen replied smartly.

"Is that a challenge?" Percy demanded, grinning.

"It's been a while since you got your butt kicked. I just have to remind you what it feels like, don't I?"

Percy grinned.

_**11: Bob the Crab**_

"**What nymph did Apollo love?" **Bianca asked as they walked along the beach's edge. Gwen wasn't eager to leave the refreshing store of energy and comfort and Percy hadn't had much time at First Legion to just mull over a quest by the water's calming edge. It suddenly occurred to him that the ocean's calming way was just like Gwen's power over the tension's in a room. He had his own personal water charm floating around with him, but even Gwen had to bow down to the way the water rushed over the little rocks and bits of sand. Nothing could compare to the open sea or the sound of the waves rolling up to meet eager, weary feet.

"Apollo fell in love with many nymphs." Grover answered, sighing.

"But which one did Cupid hurt?" Gwen replied coolly.

"Cupid's the son of the goddess of love. Hurt isn't really in love's nature." Bianca argued, stumbling over a seashell.

"Not necessarily." Gwen replied, smiling, as she gracefully walked along the shallow edge of the water. "Who knows maybe the most membered story about Cupid and Apollo?"

"Um," Grover looked up at the sky, which rumbled at him, he jumped, "What about Daphne?"

"Bravo, Grover!" Gwen clapped her hands together, giving a little skip.

"Fill me in." Percy commanded, shoving Gwen into deeper waters playfully. Bianca stepped closer to Percy and Grover. Grover shivered but Percy felt absolutely nothing with Gwen and the ocean right next to him.

"The story of Daphne is a little sad." Gwen replied. "She was a nymph that Apollo fancied a little. But I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? There was one day that Apollo was walking and he came across Cupid who was cleaning his arrows. Apollo was feeling very high on himself for some reason (sometimes gods just are) and decided to make fun of little Cupid. He said 'Oh, your arrows are just toys! No good they will ever do! They are useless!' Cupid grew angry at Apollo's insults and jeers. He replied, 'Just see what they can do!' and with that, Cupid pulled out two arrows. One arrow was tipped with gold. The other blunted with lead. He shot Apollo with the gold one, while the lead arrow hit Daphne. Apollo instantly fell deeply in love with Daphne but Daphne had been hit with an arrow that made her repel the very thought of love. Apollo chased and sought after her affections until finally Daphne grew tired. She knew the god would catch her. She begged a river god to help her. Upon hearing her, the river god turned her into a tree. Apollo tried to hug her but her limbs were stiff and hard. He tried to kiss her but he only touched rough bark. He tried to caress her hair but only found leaves. Still madly in love, he made Daphne his special tree-the laurel tree."

"That is sad!" Bianca sighed, after she was sure Gwen was done.

"So all we have to do is find a laurel tree and pluck a leaf?" Percy asked, stepping over a crab. It snapped at Grover who bleated and jumped away from it.

"_Nothing _is that easy, hot shot." Gwen picked up the offending crab and rested it on her shoulder. It lightly pinched one of her wavy locks. "We're going to have to find the _original _Daphne."

"What?" Percy stopped. Gwen laughed and stopped too. She tickled the crab's claws. It snapped delicately at her fingers in return.

"We're going to have to find _the _Daphne." Gwen repeated, setting the crab down gently on the wet sand.

"Do you remember what the river god's name was?" Bianca asked, stopping and doubling back to stand in front of Percy and Gwen.

"This sand sticks to me like glue!" Grover complained, fighting back to them, a comical expression pasted on his labored face.

"It's wet sand, Grover," Gwen laughed, "It does that to everyone."

"Yeah, well, I think it likes me more than most!" Grover picked up one hoof then set it back down and picked up the other one. Percy frowned. The sand seemed intent to stick to him. It was like slime. No matter how far Grover picked up his foot, the sand just stretched with him.

"I think you just stepped in something funky, man." Percy snorted, slightly worried that there was something more to the sand. He glanced at Gwen but her Roman mask was stubbornly in the way. He wished he could just take it and hide it from her. He had no idea how he would do it but he still wanted to-really bad.

"How are you faring, B?" Gwen asked in her guarded voice. If Percy hadn't been expecting it, he wouldn't have caught it. She was a _good _actor when it came to her Roman mask and trying to keep people calm.

"Must have found it too." Bianca frowned as she picked her own feet up and tried to shake off the sand. Percy watched Gwen's expression very carefully. The very corners of her lips dipped downward for the slightest second before she was fully composed. Then her eyes jerked up to meet his. Percy jumped a little at how sudden and sharp they were. For the smallest fraction of a second, he was looking into Annabeth's shocking gray eyes as she realized something.

Gwen reached forward and brushed Percy's arm. It looked like she was just dusting off some stray sand that had lodged itself in his arm hair. He was about to look down when her voice came out of nowhere as clear as if she was just talking to him normally. _Gaea._ Her voice whispered in his mind. For that piece of a second, he felt connected to her mind in return. Then she finished pretending to brush him off and the connection broke. He gaped at her until she smiled at him. She linked her arm in his.

_You look like a fish out of water._

_Being my twin, I'm sure you look no different. _Percy retorted.

_I'm the cute one. _She beamed up at him before moving away. He stuck his tongue out at her. In the few seconds she had touched him, she had brought a whole new meaning to the definition "twins". Especially "demigod twins". He sat down in the water.

"What else can you do, Gwen? Why didn't you do that before?"

"Do what?" Grover demanded. "Touch you? She's never touched you?"

"No," Bianca answered, "something more." her eyes narrowed.

"Gwen just taught me a little telepathy."

"Something I thought I might try out." Gwen smiled, sitting down. She patted the water next to her. Bianca smiled and sat down. The sand melted as soon as she touched the water. Grover sat next to Percy, making a face as the water covered him.

"My hair's going to be hard to dry." Grover complained. Percy smiled a little. "Why are we sitting down in water, anyway? You and Gwen took _plenty _of time playing in it."

"Because," Gwen smiled at Grover, "Percy and I are learning some tricks to our twin-liness."

"Is that even a word?" Percy teased.

"Like you would know." Gwen played with the crab that had followed her. "I'm going to name this crab Bob."

"Bob?"

"Shut up."

"Okay, Percy," Grover glanced at Bob the Crab before turning his attention back to Percy, "I want to know where you went, how Bianca is alive, and when you got a _twin sister._"

"Well, aren't we curious." Gwen smiled as she swirled the water around Bob the Crab. "Why don't you explain, Percy? You know so much."

Percy splashed water in her face. She returned the favor.

"Well, uh, Grover, I've been at the Roman camp First Legion for a while-did you tell me how long, Gwen?-anyway, I was knocked out by Juno-we believe-

"More like put in a coma." Gwen muttered.

"-and I can only remember bits and pieces of Greek life. It's getting better, though. Bianca's alive because someone decided to replace Esther with her so she's feeding off Gwen's soul until she's stable enough." Grover's eyebrows raised as he looked from Gwen to Bianca quickly. Then back to Bob the Crab and Percy. "Then Gwen and I got separated from birth. Does that answer all your questions?"

Grover blinked.

"Yeah, more or less. Yeah, let's sit here for a while."

Everyone watched Gwen tap Bob the Crab's shell.

"So, telepathy, eh?" Bianca asked quietly.

"Yeah!" Percy cried a little too loudly, "How'd you do that!"

"You scared Bob!" Gwen accused. She slapped water at him then tickled Bob's shell until he began to eek back out. "You know how children of Neptune-"

"And Poseidon." Percy added. Gwen's jaw tightened. Percy thought of her shocked voice _"They lied to me."_

"-and Poseidon can hear and communicate with horses and other creatures similar to that?"

"Yes, Gwen, Neptune is the god of horses."

"Among other things." Gwen replied mysteriously, "Anyway, while I was enjoying the perks of being a Pegasus-"

"You _enjoyed _that?" Grover asked.

"Of course, Grover. Just like you love it when people take tin foil and throw it into a tree."

"Oh, right." Grover scowled at the water lapping at him, as if either thinking about someone littering or how funny he would look once his curly hair managed to dry.

"_As I was saying," _she glared at everyone, daring them to interrupt her again, "While I was a Pegasi and I could only talk to Perc, I learned a few things and had _plenty _of time to mull over things. I also thought about twins a lot." Gwen winked at him. "You can do it too if you think about it really hard." Percy raised his eyebrows.

He moved so he was closer to her.

"Scare Bob one more time..." Gwen left her threat unfinished.

"Ouch, Bob...Yeah, I probably deserved that." Percy rubbed his calf where Bob had pinched it. He rubbed his calf a little harder than necessary, wondering how much it would actually hurt if he could actually feel the full extent of Bob's killer claws.

He looked at Gwen then put his hand on her knee.

_Bob is a stupid name. _

Gwen's expression didn't change.

Percy thought it again, focusing hard on Bob.

His mind wandered. Gwen's hurt face when she realized she'd been lied to flashed in front of his eyes. Something in him clicked. He didn't have time to figure out what because then Annabeth flashed before his eyes, holding a funny looking blue brick thing. His birthday cake.

He came back to the present in a second. Something in him clicked again. Too late, he realized he'd made the connection. Percy looked into Gwen's eyes but he couldn't read them. Too many emotions were there.

Her eyes not leaving Percy's face, Gwen touched the hand that was on her knee.

_That's Annabeth? _her voice was soft.

_Yes. _Percy answered, trying to read her eyes. Girls were too complicated to rationally interpret though. Gwen was no exception.

_She's beautiful. I suppose you miss her very much. _

_I can't really remember. _Percy thought back to her. Talking to Gwen with telepathy was effortless. He couldn't believe he hadn't been able to do it at first.

_Liar. _Gwen's eyes sparkled, _She'll find you. I know she will._

_How on earth do you know that? You only saw that one memory!_

_Didn't you see her eyes. _It wasn't a question.

_How could I not? _Percy replied, the memory coming back to him. Annabeth's eyes had been sparkling. She had been nervous about what he'd think of the cake she and Tyson had made. And she had seemed to know that Percy was going to kiss her...

_Keep your memories to yourself. I have no business where you keep taking me. _With that, Gwen stood up abruptly and, cradling Bob to herself, waded into deeper water.

"What is with you and that crab?" Grover demanded.

"Gwen?" Percy asked, disliking how her shoulders were so stiff.

"Hm?" she replied not turning around.

_What'd you mean when you said Neptune was the god of horses among other things? _That got her attention.

She twirled around, her eyes wide. Percy grinned.

"Well," Gwen said, speaking out loud with a glance in Grover and Bianca's way, "He is called the sea god and the earthshaker. I wonder, since we have such abilities..." Gwen put one hand out and the water swirled up in the form of a Roman column, "with the sea, what can we do with the earth? Since Gaea is our enemy, what gifts that we haven't discovered yet might aid in her remaining sleep?"

"You're going to shake the earth?" Bianca asked. "That will lull her back."

"I've never done it-but, Percy and I together will figure it out."

"What optimistic views you have." Percy smiled.

"Sometimes, Perseus," Gwen looked at him with steady, level eyes, "Optimism is all we have."

"Speaking of all we have," Bianca broke the silence, "How much time do we have left? Was anyone keeping track?"

"I still don't know what day it is." Percy complained.

"Well," Gwen sat back down in their little circle, Bob the Crab swinging around on a piece of her hair. "When Reyna was kidnapped, we had until the summer solstice, which was a week away. It was morning when Reyna was taken. It was late when our bus crashed. We probably stayed with Mrs. M until early morning-like four or something? So that would mean one day down. Then we flew a while, then collapsed, and slept the rest of the day away. Then we woke up and chased Echo. It was high moon then so late night. So that's another day gone. We helped Echo get her voice. Sophie took a bit to find, research, find again, take her voice, and get back to Echo. We fought Echo then chased Grover and killed a Hydra-it was late. That's another day. Then we flew a while until Percy snapped out of his daydreams and stopped at Dairy Queen."

"Now it's about two." Grover added, smiling.

"Meaning, B," Gwen said, swinging Bob the Crab slowly around with her hair, "That we've lost three days. There's four left, but, if you want to include today, which doesn't have much left, there's five. Or, more accurately, four and a half. So what should we do to find Daphne? Honestly, I'd rather be early than late."

"Sleep." Percy fell back into the water, enjoying the way it seemed to hug him. It was the perfect blanket. Gwen yanked on one of his feet.

"What are Grover and B going to do during high tide?" Gwen demanded, glancing at the two others in their group who couldn't breathe underwater.

"Considering we're twins of Neptune, I think they'll be safe." Percy offered a small smile to his sister who mirrored it exactly. He decided he wouldn't remind Gwen that she really was a child of Poseidon. He knew she had always wished she was. He knew she had always yearned for a family who wouldn't care that she acted Greek or Roman. He knew she hated it that the Romans cared more about war advantages than actually her. But that would change because Percy was at First Legion now. Percy would either stay with his sister or take her with him to be with their mother and Chiron.

C_hiron. _A warm feeling filled him. He saw the white-bodied centaur jamming out to some horrible classical music. He opened his eyes for a brief second to see Gwen watching him carefully. He wondered how much he'd just shown her or if she was just trying to creep him out. He decided to go with the latter to make himself feel better. He closed his eyes again, acting like he hadn't seen Gwen's face.

"Percy, I want to see the token we got from Narcissus." Gwen said suddenly.

"Sure." Percy jerked the coin out and flipped it to her. She caught it and looked it over.

"It's plain." She said, disappointment eating the edge of her tone. "I was hoping for something so we might know what we're forking over to our little kidnapper." she explained. Gwen ran her finger on the edge of the coin. "Ouch!" she jerked her hand away.

A drop of blood ran around the edge of the coin before settling.

"Did it just suck my blood in?" Gwen gasped.

"A vampire coin." Percy laughed, "Gwen, you're so tired, you're hallucinating things. Get some sleep." Gwen handed the coin back to him. She looked at her finger but he knew that she knew nothing would be there. Even if the coin had pricked her, she was sitting in water. She would've been healed the second it opened her skin. Percy looked up to the sky then turned over to peek at Grover and Bianca.

Bianca was swirling the water carefully, looking like she was worried she might destroy it. Grover's eyes were darting from the sand to the water, trying to decide if he'd rather sleep in the very wet, shifty water or the sticky glue-like sand. Finally, he heaved a sigh and pulled off the baseball cap on his head. Peeking about three inches out of his curly brown hair was a pair of horns. Percy smiled when he remembered Grover complaining about how small they had been. Once upon a time.

Grover scratched his head, gave a quick, wary glance at Bob who Percy could hear snapping his claws behind him. Grover pulled his reed pipe out and blew experimentally into it. It gave a sour note. Grover recoiled slightly then tried again. Percy held his breath when something that could be considered beautiful spilled out of the pipe.

It sounded like woodland magic gone musical. With just a hint of sourness and a hint of what sounded like a Hilary Duff song. Percy smiled and rolled over to look at the blue sky. He was about to comment on how good Grover had gotten-when the music got to him and he slipped into sleep.

He was in a room with lots and lots of shelves. Percy realized with a sudden sinking feeling that he was back in Mrs. M's store. She was still trying to lift all her bookshelves and replace the contents. Then he heard a light, polite knock on the front door.

"Who's there?" Mrs. M demanded.

"What happened here?" a boy slid into the room, quite as a whisper. Percy knew who he was immediately. The boy was about twelve. He was lanky and dark.

"Some ungrateful customers." Mrs. M looked him up and down. "You are a demigod, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." the boy replied, peering at Mrs. M suspiciously through his mop of straight black hair.

"Hm, demigods cause trouble." Mrs. M turned her back on him and began to pick up some jars.

"I'll help you." he offered, bending over to lift a bookshelf up. Mrs. M nodded her head. The boy paused from his work, took a deep breath, and snapped his fingers. The ground shook slightly and the hands of skeletons popped out of the earth. The dead pulled themselves up and began to pick up different things.

"What did you say your name was, son of Hades?" Mrs. M asked as she watched the dead pick up things much faster than she ever could've.

"Nico di Angelo." he replied.

Mrs. M nodded again, thoughtfully this time, though.

Nico and his dead cleaned up the store to its previous state before Percy and his group had swept in.

"I thank you, Mr. di Angelo. " Mrs. M smiled at Nico, "I should repay you." Nico held his hands up.

"No, ma'am, it's really nothing. There's no need." Percy watched him take another step back and the shadows leaned forward to cling to his dark clothes. Mrs. M smiled however.

"How sad that all your friends are so much older than you. How sad that you are looked down on because of your father and your age. I could help, hero." Nico slinked farther into the shadows. "You would be stronger, more your age, and not frowned upon."

"Children of Hades will always be frowned upon."

"When you're older, you will just look like you deserve more respect." Mrs. M smiled at him. "Tell me, traveler, what brought you here?"

"I'm searching for a friend of mine." Nico stood up straighter, "Have you seen him? His name is Percy Jackson." The corners of Mrs. M's mouth dipped down slightly then they perked back up. Nico missed it.

"Here, dear, this snack will give you just a few years of wisdom. Here. It will help you with your quest to find your friend."

To Percy's horror, Nico reached out slowly. Mrs. M beamed and pulled a cookie out of one of her jars. Nico glanced around quickly. Percy could practically hear his thoughts going _And how is this the smartest thing I've ever done? _But he bit into it.

The cookie fell from his hand.

And Nico di Angelo collapsed on the floor.

_**12: Percy and Grover Learn How to Fly**_

**Percy woke up with a gasp.** The image of Nico hunched over the floor, his cookie lying next to him, broken in half, was burned into the inside of his eyelids. Nico was no where near Percy though. Percy still had no idea what city he was in. He knew he was still in California, though.

Slowly, he sat up. Gwen's legs were tangled in his. Bianca and Grover were snuggled against his sister and she was keeping the water shallow while she peacefully slept. Bob the Crab was laying on Gwen's stomach, looking as cat-like as a crab could be, glaring at Percy.

"Hey, Bob, wuz up?" Percy slowly began to try to figure out which legs were his and which were Gwen's. Bob snapped his claws at him once. Percy imagined him saying _Nothin' much._ _You? _

"Same o', same o'." Percy answered. Bob snapped one claw at him. "Yeah, I'm taking to a _crab. _Wouldn't Gwen be proud?"

"Gwen is proud."

Percy jerked as he looked up from Bob to Gwen's sleepy green eyes. Gwen smiled slightly at him.

"Make friends with the creatures in your domain." Gwen advised, shifting Grover over so she could free her hand a little to pat Bob on the shell, "They could save your life someday."

"What is that? Gwen's Daily Wisdom?" Percy smiled at her and stood up. Gwen blew her bangs out of her eyes.

"You could use it." she smiled, "Rise and shine!" with that, the water came rushing back on top of Bianca, Grover, Gwen, and Bob. Grover and Bianca sat straight up, gasping and sputtering and muttering curses. Gwen slowly sat up and clapped her hands, throwing her head back to laugh.

"Gwen," Percy said in an accusing voice, "You're diabolical. Sea water over sleeping people? What's next? Taking candy from babies?"

"Oh, you're just jealous because you didn't think of it first, you old puffer fish." Gwen stood up and threw a starfish at him.

"Is that how you make friends in your domain?" Percy asked, catching the starfish. He tried to put it in the water but it wouldn't let go. "Crap. Do you see what you did?" Percy felt that once he got the fish off, he would be missing some skin.

"Naturally," Gwen swung her long hair back and forth so Bob, who was clinging to it, swung around and twisted, "Because I told the starfish to stick to you."

"You knew it would be next to impossible to get off!" Percy tried to rake it off in the water.

"And so did you, son of the sea god!" Gwen looked highly amused, "Most people dodge sticky things. You just decided to be the exception, didn't you?"

"That's-not-funny!" Percy gasped as he pulled on the starfish.

"Try being nice to it." Bianca offered. Gwen smiled down at her. Percy mumbled something about girls and starfish then looked at the stubborn thing reluctantly.

"Uh," he said, feeling stupid, "Could you, uh, please, Mr. Starfish, let go of my hand?" Percy was pretty sure the gods were laughing their faces off. Then there was a _pop! _Mr. Starfish scooted off his hand and landed in the water with a video game sounding _bloop. _"Gwen." he said her name like a threat. She smiled sweetly at him.

Percy blinked once at the water and the waves yanked like a rug under Gwen's feet. She fell into the water. She flicked her hair out of her face, Bob looking like a cowboy trying to rope a tornado.

"Oh, big brother likes games, does he?" Gwen narrowed her eyes slightly. Percy felt the water around him spin. Then he was in a whirlpool. Legs in the air, laughing, he spun around until the water stopped and splashed over him. _FYI: _Gwen said in his head, _You just got flushed. _

Percy sat up and squeezed his hands together.

Gwen shot up in a column of water. She flew up about thirty feet before flying back down and hitting the shallow water. Gwen jerked back to a sitting position, a mischievous smirk on her lips, a dangers gleam in her eyes.

_Lord! Lady! _Gwen stopped and looked out to the open sea. Percy was a second slower than her to turn around. Then a head popped out of the waves. _Fish ponies! _Tyson's voice came out of nowhere.

"RAINBOW!" Percy yelled before he could think. Gwen was by his side, looking at him like he was crazy. "It's Rainbow!" Percy announced, standing up quickly to smile reassuringly at her.

"What's wrong with him?" Bianca asked warily.

"He thinks he's gay." Gwen told her.

"No, I don't." Percy shoved her over.

"He doesn't," Grover backed him up, "That's Rainbow the Hippocampi."

"A Hippocampi?" Gwen asked, her voice strange, "Is there a Roman name for it? I've never seen one. What is it?" With that, she waded into even deeper water. Percy followed her. Rainbow jumped out of the water. He was beautiful. His upper body was a horse and melted perfectly into his lower body of a smooth scaled fish tail. His tail fins were rainbow as were his mane.

"He's gorgeous, Percy. Are you Rainbow?" Gwen asked in a soft voice.

_Yes, Lady, yes! Lord, things are afoot! We sensed agitation in your thoughts. Brother Tyson has been looking for you, Lord. Shall we send word that we have found you?_

"As much as he'd enjoy that, no." Gwen cocked her head to him, he ignored her, "We need your help, Rainbow. You can send one of your number to tell Tyson that you found me. You can tell him that I'm fine and I'm on a quest. You can tell him I have a surprise for him."

_Yes, Lord! We'll be glad to! What do you need our help with? _

"Do you know where the laurel tree Daphne is?"

_Near her father's river in Greece._

"Greece!" Percy forced out, glancing at Gwen. She was nodding, her face scrunched up.

"The river god Peneus was her father..." Gwen sighed, "We don't have enough time to go to _Greece _and pluck a leaf from Daphne. We might irritate her father."

"What if," Grover came stumbling up to them, "We find maybe a sibling of Daphne? Maybe they'll have a leaf or token."

"Grover!" Gwen spun around. Grover jumped.

"Yeah?"

"You're a genius!" She grabbed him by the shoulders and planted a kiss right smack on his lips, "She has a sister named Stilbe and she's a nymph! Grover, do you know anything about nymphs?"

"M-m-my g-g-girl-girlfriend." Grover sat down in the water.

"Good!" Gwen bubbled. "Rainbow, do you know where Stilbe is?"

"Percy, this Hippocampi _really _doesn't like me!" Bianca cried. Then she was back underwater. Her Hippocampi was intent to half drown her before they got to Stilbe.

"Rainbow, do you mind?" Percy asked, patting Rainbow on the neck.

_Of course, Lord. Sticky, enough, Lord grows irritated with you. _

Sticky resurfaced, Bianca sputtering and gasping.

_Apologies, Lord, the dark girl makes me nervous._

"Hm." Gwen grumbled.

"How ya doin', Grover?" Percy called behind him.

"I feel like a cheeseball!" Percy glanced behind him and burst out laughing. All Grover's curly brown hair had poofed out with a violent vigor.

"You look like a puffball." Percy told him. Gwen flicked her hair behind her shoulder and a wave rolled over and engulfed Grover and his Hippocampi. The Hippocampi jumped out of the extra high wave with a cry of _Yay! _Grover came out looking very wet.

"Thanks, Gwen." Grover sputtered sarcastically.

"Anytime."

Bob waved at Percy from his perch on Gwen's shoulder.

Percy waved back.

_Are you okay, Lord? _Rainbow asked.

"Nope."

_Forgive us, Lord and Lady. The water is too shallow for us. We will deliver your message to your brother Tyson._

"Thank you, Rainbow!" Percy called. Gwen and Bob waved.

"Okay! Grover, you probably have the best experience with nymphs, so find Stilbe!" Gwen announced. Grover turned a dozen shades of pink and red in less than an eighth of a second.

"Me?" he asked timidly.

"Yup." Gwen twirled around in a circle as if Stilbe might pop out with of a tree with a sign that said: _I'm Stilbe! Come be my best friend!_

"Gwen, I think you got drunk on sea water." Percy put his arm around Gwen's waist and began to steer her away from the sea's edge. Grover jumped away from her as if she might lunge out and randomly kiss him again. Percy laughed.

"Well, Grover," Percy prompted, "Find Stilbe! Go on, boy! Find Stilbe!"

"I'm half goat-not half dog!" Grover snapped coldly. "Bah-ha-ha! What's wrong with you? Are you blind?" He motioned to his very goat-like hooves that were poking out of his jeans. Bianca laughed behind her hand. Grover glared at them then sighed, "Stilbe! Stilbe! Hey! We're demigods and a satyr that need your help! Stilbe!" Grover glanced back at Percy.

"Maybe we need to go deeper along." Percy offered, dragging Gwen along the small river's edge.

"Stilbe..." Grover called half-heartedly every couple minutes.

"I think we should go deeper into the _forest_." Bianca offered. "Where the _trees _are. Maybe we can find another nymph that could help."

They veered off the water's edge. Bob pinched Percy's ear. Percy flicked at Bob. Gwen elbowed him in the gut.

"Not fair. Two against one." Percy growled jokingly.

Grover pushed through the thick branches of trees. Percy, Gwen, and Bob went next, Percy slightly in front so that all the branches hit him in the face. Bianca held on tightly to the back of Gwen's shirt.

"Hello?" Grover continued to call, "Stilbe? ANYONE!"

"TIMBER!"

Grover froze and Percy crashed into him.

"Stilbe!" Percy yelled.

"Stilbe is a _girl, _Percy." Gwen scolded, "That was a man's voice. Wait, should anyone be cutting trees here?"

"Where is here?" Percy pointed out, "I haven't known where we are the entire quest!"

"Don't be a baby." Gwen hopped a little, "Maybe our mystery voice can help." She smiled at Percy.

"Or maybe they're a mortal who's doing illegal stuff and will squish four teenagers and a crab who caught him." Percy hurried after Gwen and Bianca.

"Or, Mr. Sunshine," Gwen had begun to run through the trees, "they know our world and can help us."

"But then they wouldn't cut down trees!" Grover yelped.

They burst through a thick tangle of branches to find a path.

"When'd that get there?" Percy demanded, stepping onto the flat path and glancing back at the forest of claws they'd just fought through.

"Hm." Gwen answered, "If we go back, we'll know there's an easier way. Hello?" Percy looked up sharply at her change of tone. At the end of path was a man. He was pulling and tugging and trying to yank down a tree. The man didn't react to Gwen's voice.

"He's huge!" Bianca gasped, tightening her grip on the back of Gwen's T-shirt. Percy didn't need her comment to know that. The man had to have been seven foot six. He was built like an ox and was in a plaid shirt, overalls, and boots that incredibly came in his size.

The giant turned around at Bianca's soft cry. He continued to hold onto his bent over pine tree.

"Can you help me?" he asked in an odd accent.

"Who are you?" Percy asked.

"Sinis. Who are you?"

"Travelers." Gwen replied smoothly, "Tell me, sir, what is your story?"

"Come. I will tell you while your two strong men aid me." Sinis smiled at them. Percy considered running to the nearest convenience store and buying a toothbrush for him.

"Sure, no problem." he said instead, "C'mon, Grover."

"What? Me?"

"He's not talking to Bob. No offense, Bob." Percy joked, smiling back at Gwen and Bob. Bob clicked his pinchers together menacingly.

Percy and Grover grabbed a section of the tree and held down.

"This is legal, right?" Percy asked worriedly.

"'Course." Sinis said. "I can chop down three trees a year and bend as many as I like as long as I do not make every tree in the forest very bent." Sinis laughed loudly like they'd just shared a good joke. Percy laughed weakly. Grover made a sound like a mouse trying to sing opera.

"Your story, man of myth." Gwen demanded.

"For the pretty lady, of course." Sinis grinned at Gwen who returned it with a suppressed smile. _Breath mints?... _Gwen whispered in his head. Percy snickered quietly, wondering if she'd meant to let him hear her thoughts.

"What?" Sinis turned back to Percy, "You do not think your companion is a very pretty lady?"

"Oh, well, I guess she's pretty." Percy concentrated on a leaf, "I never really thought about it that much."

"You should." Sinis advised, "You may want to kiss her in the future."

"Not likely," Percy laughed, "She's my sister."

"Ah." Sinis nodded, looking between them, "I see. Twins? Very powerful demigods indeed."

"How'd you know we were demigods?" Bianca asked slowly.

"Common sense, dark one." Sinis replied, "Strong boys, move towards the tip so the tree's lower to the ground."

"Like this?" Percy asked.

"Are you going to tell us your story?" Gwen growled.

"Yes, great. Now, bye, bye."

"What?" Grover demanded. Sinis jumped away from the tree and suddenly Percy and Grover were flying through the air.

"PERCY!" Gwen screamed, jumping forward.

Percy saw his sister's shocked face.

He saw Sinis leaping forward with his chainsaw to slice Gwen in half.

He and Grover hit the trees.

Percy remembered Nico.

Then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

_** 13: Gwen Falls into the Pit of Despair**_

**Percy didn't know where he was**. But, then again, what was new? He was in a tall, deep room. It was lit by torches and lanterns. People were scurrying around, attaching long pieces of bronze to a thick skeleton of something. Other people were tinkering with huge bronze wires and wheels. One boy lit himself on fire and two others dumped a bucket of bubbles over him. They collapsed on the floor in a fit of giggles while the first boy steamed and patted out some stray sparks.

"We should have left already! We should already be at the Roman Camp!" a girl's voice was high and fretful. Percy spun around and around, searching for Annabeth. She sounded strange and wrong.

"Don't blame me!" a voice snapped, stress and irritation weighing heavily on his tone, "There were several factors that messed up! Is it my fault that bronze seemed to vanish into thin air? Is it my fault we had to send a quest out to find it? Is it my fault a couple of Hermes's kids had a prank-gone-bad and messed up weeks of work? We're doing our best! I'm doing my best! I'm working as hard as I can, Annabeth! Do you want me to mess something up and we crash in Texas? Cut me some slack, geez!"

Percy found them. He raced towards the small group. He wanted to just wrap Annabeth in his arms and never let go.

Annabeth breathed out slowly.

"I'm sorry, you're right. You're doing great, Leo." one boy nodded.

"Just keep the flattery up, I deserve every bit of it." Leo stood like Superman, allowing her to appreciate him better. Percy grinned in spite of himself. He liked Leo immediately.

"Shut up, Leo." Another boy laughed, the laugh rather tight, "When do you think we'll be able to get to my camp?" Percy focused harder on the boy.

He was tall. Taller than Percy-but only by about an inch. He was built big and strong. His hair was short and golden blonde. Cut Roman style. Just like every other guy in First Legion (besides Percy). His eyes were a bright blue. Burned into his arms were SPQR, an eagle, and twelve thick lines.

That was Jason Grace. Son of Jupiter.

"We should get to the Roman camp late August." Leo grumbled, pulling out some metal works from his jacket and putting them together with his very long fingers.

"That's about Percy's birthday. Maybe we can get there. What a good present..." Annabeth said, her voice a little weepy.

"Jason," a girl asked in a strange voice, as if she was afraid to know the answer, "When we find Annabeth's boyfriend, you'll still be with Leo and me, right? We won't loose you, will we?"

Jason bit his lip.

"I don't know, Piper. I really don't know what's going to happen."

Leo's expression darkened even more.

"Well, I won't miss you." he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"I will." Piper whispered.

The scene changed.

A young man was laying on the ground in the fetal position. A cookie was next to him. Slowly, he shuddered and lifted himself to his hands and knees. His breathing was labored.

"What'd you do to me?" he asked in a husky voice. A familiar but remarkably deeper voice.

"I did what I said I would do, Nico. I just decided to go with the hard way since you're friends with the boy who's sister trashed my store." Mrs. M smiled and sipped her tea while she watched Nico.

"Percy doesn't have a sister." Nico said in his deep voice. Slowly, he stood up. Percy took a step back.

Nico was tall and lanky but his jaw was stronger and his build was buffer. His hair was longer and his eyes were sharper. His clothes were tighter. He looked to be about eighteen. If Nico didn't have olive skin and shaggy shaggy hair, Percy would have thought a younger Hades had just gotten off the floor. Not his son.

"Whatever you say, son of Hades." Mrs. M laughed a charmingly laugh. It might have been charming to Percy if his skin wasn't crawling as he tried to take in the older, maybe even darker Nico standing in Mrs. M's shop. Shadows seemed to appear even in the brightest parts of the store.

"Interesting." Mrs. M took another sip of tea.

"What?" Nico seemed to be trying to come to grips with how he had suddenly skipped over puberty-or had puberty in one night.

"You've gotten incredibly stronger. Normally you grow stronger as you learn it...this sudden jump seems to have caused your-gifts, shall we say?-to jump with your age. You may want to take it easy for a few hours while you come to grips with how you've changed."

The shadows darkened.

The dream changed.

"LET ME GO! LET! ME! GO!"

Reyna.

The pretty daughter of Apollo was chained to the dark walls of the underground chamber Percy had seen once before...right before Bianca showed up. Reyna was covered in dirt and bruises and gashes. Her eyes were _huge. _Her voice was frail. Percy could almost feel her will beginning to run raw. They had to get Daphne's token and get to Reyna before she finally shattered.

"Do you know if they're almost here?" a voice asked. It was a sweet sounding voice. It was the winged god.

"They're separated." A cruel laugh filled the cave causing Reyna to begin a whole new wave of screaming.

"Then how will they get the daughter of Apollo?" the god asked nervously.

"They may not. If they don't get to us, they aren't worthy of my time."

"Then what happens to the little girl?"

"My mother will appreciate her soul then. I need a strong soul to feed to her-then she'll wake up. You remember what a struggle it was to fight my mother, don't you, arrow-bearer?"

"Yes." the god's voice was breathy, caught up in memories that Percy had no doubt were no good. "What about my wife?"

"You will get Psyche when our little friends show up with our tokens." more laughter filled the cave. A skull wiggled loose and came tumbling down, straight through Percy. The cave melted into a woodland forest.

Sinis was lunging at Gwen who's face was shocked. She was looking up and away, no idea that she was about to be sawed in half by a crazy lumberjack dude with a chainsaw. Gwen looked back to Sinis and threw herself away. The blade hit her shirt. She cried out as blood splattered over Sinis and herself. Bob flew off her shoulder as she hit the ground.

"You want to know my story, pretty lady?" he cackled, "I am the son of Poseidon! I am the Pine-bender!"

"I thought you ripped people apart with trees." Gwen gasped.

"I find it much more fun to fling some of the party like I used to do and" he gave a wicked grin, "chop the rest of the travelers up with a taste of the modern age! I have to admit, it's much more fun!" He brought his saw down.

"NO!" Bianca shrieked.

The ground split.

Sinis fell, screaming curses.

He grabbed hold of something to pull him back up.

And Gwen fell with him into the abyss.

The walls contracted and a ledge appeared. Gwen hit the rough surface and there was a snap as her ankle supporting Sinis hit the edge. She cried out as Sinis let go and her foot flopped in an unnatural way, in no way pleasant to look at or feel.

Percy tried to run to her but he was frozen. Frozen in time it seemed.

Everything was dark. He saw Gwen's eyes get wide. Her face turned a pasty shade of white and she screamed. She screamed a scream that rattled his bones and threatened to make the very oceans dry up in fear.

He woke up with her screaming.

It took him a moment to realize that he really heard Gwen screaming.

"Gwen!" he tried to yell. It came out more like "Blenkb!"

He sputtered and choked on his mouthful of dirt. Percy fought to his feet and shook off the dirt that had been sucking him into the earth. G_aea. _He thought, his heart pounding.

"Grover!"

Grover was completely submerged in the earth besides one little hoof. Percy seized it and wrenched Grover out of the clay. The earth shook slightly as Grover popped out of the ground like a carrot and sent he and Percy tumbling into a tree.

"I don't like dirt." Grover grumbled as he spat out mud.

"GWEN!" Bianca's scream was loud even though Percy and Grover had probably been thrown a good distance from the female part of their group.

There was a tingle in the back of Percy's mind.

A wave of panic flowed through him. He knew it wasn't his.

Black flashed in his vision. He jerked back, falling back into the tree he and Grover had just disentangled themselves from.

Claws.

Blood.

Red eyes.

Fangs.

Black.

Gwen was screaming her horrible scream. Her scream of sheer terror.

He and Grover took the shortest moment to look at each other before nodding their heads in illusion and racing off in the direction of Gwen's frantic screams.

"I don't know what's wrong with her!" Bianca cried as soon as she saw Percy and Grover. She was in desperate tears, "Did I hurt her? Percy, what's wrong with Gwen!"

"I don't know! GWEN!" Percy bellowed into the huge crack in the earth.

Gwen didn't miss a beat with her shrieking. She was too far gone.

Something lunged at Percy. He jumped away, yanking out Riptide, but it was just the things Gwen was accidentally showing him. It lunged at him again. He didn't jump like an idiot this time, though.

The thing was pitch black. All Percy could make out was blood red eyes, huge fangs, and claws the size of rulers. It was night when the thing had attacked her. It was night. It had been black. It was lightless down where Gwen was.

"We need to get light down there! NOW!"

"How do you expect we do that?" Bianca demanded, still in frightened tears, jerking her thumb up to the night sky. How had it gotten so late? The sun had been beginning to paint fantastic colors in the sky when they'd found Sinis, but Percy hadn't expected the day to leave so quickly. Maybe that's what happened when a person got thrown through the air and knocked out: time travels a little fast.

Percy looked back down into the crack in the earth that his sister was trapped in, screaming about old nightmares. He looked around the forest again. Then he set his jaw. And jumped into the abyss.

Granted, not the smartest thing he'd ever done.

He was sure he'd had plenty of other moments similar, though. He wasn't totally sure but he did know he was him. And Percy knew he was just one of those people that did stupid things a lot.

There was a moment of feeling nothing. Of falling through air without knowing what was going to happen next.

"B!" he yelled. He wondered it Bianca was learning telepathy too because, just as Percy had meant, the ground shifted closed on the bottom. He landed on his face for the second time that day.

"Blen!" he cried, touching his nose. _Nice, _he thought.

"PERCY!"

Her arms were around his neck. She probably would have strangled him if he wasn't indestructible. He hugged her right back. The monster was clearer for a second. He felt a twang of pain in his shoulder then it was gone. The monster was receding, snarling all the way, watching Gwen with wanting eyes...

He shook his head.

"Let's get you out of here, Gwen."

"How do you figure you'll do that?" she whimpered, sounding, probably for the first time he'd known her, frail and easily breakable. It was the first real emotional snap he'd dealt with. And he wasn't excited about it.

"With this."

He didn't know why he held it up. It was so dark, he couldn't see his own nose.

"I assume you'll narrate?" Gwen said, sniffling, her voice a little teasing. Percy took it as a sign of hope that she was being fixed.

"A small snail shell that slipped into my shoe at the beach."

"Hm. Yes, snail shells are the perfect things for getting out of deep pits. Why didn't I think of that?"

"It's something I learned from a river guardian." he told her. He put the shell on the stone ground that was still hot from Bianca's styling. _Up. _He thought, trying to put authority into his thoughts. Gwen giggled. Apparently he was telling her up too. _Up, _he insisted. He felt the small bubble of water. Gwen gasped and clung to him tighter. Which was quiet a feat since she was about to pop his head off his shoulders already. _UP!_

They shot up into the air as the water flowed beneath them.

"BOB!" Gwen cried, clearly pleased to see the crab that was waving at her from the grass. Bianca closed the pit. Percy saw her breath a sigh of relief, as if keeping it open had been a taxing thing on her. Then he and Gwen began to fall back to the unnaturally hard looking ground.

They hit the ground and sat up, smiling at each other and Bianca.

"Let's check out that ankle..." Percy reached for her foot but neither of her feet were turned funny.

"Your water works." Gwen explained, standing up and putting weight on it. She nodded her head like it would suffice.

"Are you sure you're okay, Gwen?" Bianca asked in a worried tone.

"A-O-K." she beamed a smile at Bianca.

_Gwen, you know you can't lie to me. _Percy said in her head, watching her reaction closely, _I saw that nightmare thing. What was it? What happened to you?_

_Nothing. _

_I've been waiting for this moment-_Percy grinned, _Gwen, you're a liar, I'm going to drown you if you don't tell me what's up._

_You're going to drown me? _Gwen tried to joke, her smirk twisting into a grimace, _The sky's up. Now leave me alone. _

She turned her back on him.

_Gwen, I'll bug you _all _night if I have too. _

She ignored him.

"Who wants sleep?" she asked, a little too cheerfully.

"I want food." Bianca complained. Grover's stomach growled in agreement.

"Yeah," Gwen agreed, "We seem to be bad at regular meal times. Anyway, let's get some sleep, we'll ask Stilbe for some berries in the morning."

"Gaea will suck you into the ground so sleeping's not an option." Percy told her, thinking about ways he could get her to tell him what her secret was.

"Well, then, I suppose we'll just have to sleep in a tree. I've always wanted to try it!" Gwen wiggled her fingers but her heart wasn't in it.

_Tell me. _Percy whispered.

She waved her hand at him as if she might shoo his thoughts away.

_You're a persistent little sea slug._

_Yup. _Percy replied good naturedly.

Gwen threw a stick at him. Percy ducked and the stick nailed Grover in the face, right between the eyes.

"Look what you did, Percy." Gwen accused half-heartedly, climbing into the closest tree.

"What I did?"

"You shouldn't have ducked!"

"Well, fine. That makes sense."

"Yes, yes, it does. I'm so glad you agree." Gwen threw him a smile.

"Uh, Gwen, just thought you should know, goats don't climb trees!" Grover rubbed his forehead, glaring at her, "You have a thing for throwing things. At Percy. Percy stop irritating her."

"Yeah, Percy." Gwen echoed. Percy stared her down.

Gwen winced. Ever so slightly.

A flash of black.

"You're part boy, aren't you?" Gwen asked Grover teasingly, her eyes never leaving Percy's face. There was no humor in her face.

_Gwen?_

_You want a glimpse? _Her voice was almost wild. A scream filled Percy's head. It was Gwen, he knew. It was a little Gwen. It was a younger, higher version of the screams Gwen had shown she was capable of when she was in the pit of darkness. _The scream no one heard. _Her voice was dry. Bitter.

While he and Gwen were having their mini memory attack, Grover was trying to climb a tree, his hooves scrapping uselessly against the bark, while Bianca tried to push him up. Her cheeks were puffed out as the situation did not work in her favor. They were slowly sliding down, Bianca in danger of any moment being squished under faun butt.

Gwen and Percy looked on quietly.

"Maybe we should help them." Percy finally said when Bianca was almost to the ground.

"Maybe." Gwen replied.

"Gwen,"

"Hm."

"Why do I have a trident and you have a stallion if we're identical?"

"What?" Gwen looked at him, her Roman Mask shattering so she could give him a look like _Have you lost your mind? _Without speaking, he put his left arm out to her. His silver trident shone as the moon's light hit it at different angles.

"Oh. I don't know. Maybe it's like I'm a girl and you're a guy. What do you think, B?"

"I think I'm getting crushed!"

Gwen wasn't listening, "Maybe...I don't know..."

"Maybe," Percy thought out loud, trying to get all his brain pieces in order, "Dad wanted you to feel like you belonged. You know, the Romans like to have, like, the animal part of the gods, except Pluto because he doesn't have an animal. So maybe Dad was trying to make you fit in. He didn't want you to have yet another reason to feel isolated and not like everyone else. Maybe he hoped you would become Roman if you looked like it."

"Fat chance." she muttered, sliding off her tree branch.

"Obviously."

"Guys! A little help here?" Bianca gasped. There was a thud and a groan as Grover lost his grip finally on the branch and fell completely on Bianca. Grover scrambled off, stumbling over his hooves as he did so. Bianca used the tree to pull herself up.

"Stupid tree." she muttered darkly.

The tree took offense.

_**14: A Tree Attacks**_

**The tree's trunk widened and grew.** It's branches formed together and lengthened. Its roots grew thick and large. Two large black eyes appeared in the upper part of its bark. From a simple fig tree to a monster tree with sharp claw-like branch hands and waving root tentacles. The figs in its leaves were large and waved at them as if it was saying _Hi, there! I'm going to kill you! Won't that be fun? Yay! _

One of its huge hands grabbed the shocked Bianca up.

"B!" Gwen shrieked. Percy saw the panic twist her face then her body seemed to relax. Her face turned hard. In a split second, Gwen turned back to Percy. Completely in control. A different person. A true Roman. He must have looked pretty stupid while he gaped her so he snapped his jaw closed and tried to mimic her expression.

"Grover-" Gwen yelled, her tone one Percy had never heard before. She probably would have continued yelling at the frozen faun if at that moment one of the fig tree's roots hadn't popped out of the earth and sent Grover flying through the air yet again. "Unavailable!" she muttered, turning her full gaze on Percy. Mentally, he flinched. She looked like a pissed off gym teacher. Percy was half expecting her to yell "Jackson, two hundred laps around the Monster Tree!" but she said something that made a little more sense, "Roots are its offense and greatest defense! It's anchored to ground. Saw off the arm with Bianca. I'll keep it distracted. Go around it. Make sure it doesn't see you. Go! Go! Now!"

He didn't really think. He just obeyed. Gwen's tone was _obey me or die! _And, at the moment, as funny as it may have sounded, he wanted to live. He dove into the trees and fought his way though in a rough circle. Gwen had sounded like she'd given orders like that before. She had sounded confident, in control, and cold. A perfect Roman-like she didn't want to be.

Gwen's mask was the thing that kept her anchored to her Roman life. No matter how much she may have wanted to break away, she had sixteen-almost seventeen-years of living as a Roman behind her. Genetically, she was a Greek and she was stubborn enough to try to be it. But, no matter how hard she could try, the mask would always come back. No matter how much she might smile, the mask was always lurking there, ready to hide her when her emotions got too great for a Roman. The mask would always be there to hide her secrets. The mask is what kept her from being Greek. And her DNA, her preprogrammed needs, were what kept her from being a Roman. She was caught in between two worlds without anyone who could really understand.

Percy was the only one who would be there whether she was a coward or not or had long hair or not or had crazy dreams or not or just wanted to cry for absolutely no good reason. (Though the last thing made him a little squeamish.) To him, to real family, it didn't matter. That's what Gwen had been missing for years on end. She might have been one of Lupa's pups, but Lupa expected her pups to live on their own. To take care of themselves. With only a small amount of love. And Gwen, Greeks in general, _needed _more than that.

A tree branch slapped him in the face.

Percy shook his head.

"Ouch." he muttered.

Big mistake.

There was a snap, crackle, and pop-like someone had just poured milk on a whole lot of Rice Krispies-and then there was a big black eye right in his face. The Fig Monster had actually bent over to glare at him. Bianca screamed in its fist.

"Whoa." Percy said before he could think, "You're really _ugly._"

The huge eye widened in surprise.

"I am Sykeus!" The tree bellowed, much to_ Percy's_ surprise. "I am a Giant! Fear me!"

"Grr." Percy answered, catching sight of Gwen who was slowly creeping up on the Giant from behind. They'd apparently changed rolls: Percy now had to entertain Sykeus and Gwen got to "saw" his arm off. He decided the best way to keep the tree's attention was by surprise. The first thing that popped into his head was sarcasm and the oh-so-perfect-oh-so-very-dumb Venus children. He decided to mimic them to the best of his ability. "You know, I'm sure we could find you some giant breath mints...you know, I bet your enemies would be much more intimidated if they weren't choking on the air." Percy did his best to sound like a Barbie.

Sykeus's eyes narrowed.

"You have a very large mouth for one so puny, little person."

"Why thank you." Percy put a hand to his chest and batted his eyelashes, feeling like a _complete _idiot yet throughly enjoying himself all the same. "It's not everyday I get to be suffocated by a giant tree who has flattery up his sleeves-or, uh, branches."

"Your brain is underdeveloped! Stop your incessant chatter, small human!"

"You noticed!" Percy cried. He noticed Bianca was watching him like he'd totally lost it. He himself was wondering that. "I work so hard on dumbing down my thoughts! It's so nice when someone can appreciate all your hard work!"

"I take it back, small confused boy, your brain has been eaten by leeches." Sykeus bent down even more to peer at Percy.

"I knew putting leeches in my ear would help me in the future!"

The giant fig tree took on a confused look which was quiet a feat for a piece of greenery. Percy had to admit he was impressed.

_Time for the finale, _he thought.

"What you need is a make-over!" Percy squealed in the highest, girliest voice he could muster.

Just like he wanted, Sykeus shook his head. Or, Percy thought he shook his head. Sykeus, being a tree and all, didn't really have a head so he just kind of twisted the upper part of his trunk in a rapid shaking motion. It sent a few figs falling down. One hit Bianca in the head.

Percy saw Gwen behind the tree, leaping through the air, taking advantage of how the tree was bent and how it was trying to shake out Percy's voice. Her swords gleamed in the moonlight for one dangerous second. Percy wondered what Gwen looked like in full battle armor, in a real fight, really trying to defeat and kill her opponent. Sure, they'd fought a Hydra-but she'd been a horse. Pegasus. Whatever! She hadn't really been Gwen.

Then she came down. The moment of midair grace was gone.

Her swords sliced through the branches as if they were nothing but butter. Sykeus straightened up, yowling in pain, but it only helped Gwen move faster.

Sykeus's arm fell off and his fingers uncurled. Gwen flicked her wrists. Her swords were gone. She grabbed unconscious Bianca under the armpits and was just hauling her out of the way when Sykeus displayed a less than pleasurable ability.

Regrowth.

The stump that had held his arm sprouted little green sprouts. Within a millisecond, a full grown branch/arm was shooting out of Sykeus's socket. Percy moved forward. But he knew he was too late.

Sykeus swung at Gwen and Bianca. Gwen tried to leap out of the way but Bianca weighed her down and Sykeus had the element of surprise.

There went his sister, flying through the air.

There went Bianca, flopping like a rag doll in the air.

There went Bob, furiously clicking his claws as he flew through the air.

Percy pulled Riptide out.

"There's no need, hero." the giant chuckled, his branches shaking with laughter, "Only a demigod and a god together can defeat me! You are only one small, gender-confused demigod of no apparent talents. I'd like to see you defeat me!" Sykeus threw his head (metaphorically speaking) to the sky and laughed a deep rumble that felt like it could shake the very mountains. It certainly shook the forest of trees.

"Uh, Dad?" Percy whispered, glancing up to the sky, hoping Jupiter wouldn't think he meant him and blast him into oblivion for such an insult. "Could you, uh, maybe give me a little help to defeat this guy? That'd be great, thanks..."

Sykeus laughed, his branches crackling like he was a huge bowl of Rice Krispies. Percy was getting hungrier and hungrier.

"Your own father does not wish to help you! How humiliating!"

Riptide got heavier in Percy's hand. He bent his knees slightly, looking around the Fig Monster in search of a weakness or the heart. But a tree's heart ran in the middle of it, the length of its trunk and branches. So was the giant more tree-like in the sense of hearts or did it still have a beating giant heart? _Only one way to find out. _Percy thought to himself, envisioning what it would look like if it didn't work and Sykeus squished him flatter than flat.

He shook his head. He couldn't think that negatively.

"Thanks anyways, Dad." Percy muttered, trying to feel sincere.

Then the earth shook.

And it really shook.

Percy fell to his knees and dug his hands into the grass and dirt. There was the loudest crack/snap/boom Percy had ever heard and then one part of the earth was higher than the other. Sykeus howled as he fell into the uneven ground, his roots sticking up in the air funny.

The earth pulled and Sykeus rolled into the crevice that had just been formed. Riptide, who'd been rattling constantly away from Percy, fell into the hole. _Crap, _he thought darkly.

"MOTHER!" Sykeus cried.

The earth shifted back into place, almost crushing Sykeus.

Now it was Percy's turn.

Neptune had shaken the earth and half-killed the giant, now Percy had to defeat him all the way. Unfortunately, Riptide had yet to magically return to his pocket. Maybe he could beat Sykeus to death with his shield.

"PERCY!"

Gwen threw her left sword at him.

It flew through the air, looking perfect.

Percy had a feeling he'd mess it up and the sword would go through his foot or something. He leapt forward, arm outstretched. Miraculously, the hilt met his hand. The weight was a little light but close enough to perfect. With a yell, he lunged forward and plunged Gwen's sword right through the Fig Monster's middle. Right where he thought a normal giant's heart might have been. The giants eyes widened suddenly.

"You may have gotten me," Sykeus warned, "But my brothers are stronger than I. Your puny efforts will never defeat them. You will fall with horrid deaths and my mother will bring me back to the world to end it. Mark my words, gender-confused boy, this is the beginning of the end."

It seemed to melt into the crack it was trapped in.

Gwen's sword clattered onto the uneven ground.

Percy slowly walked over and picked up the sword. He'd just killed a giant. With the help of his father and Gwen, but he'd killed a giant!

"WOO!" he shouted, holding Gwen's sword in the air.

"I knew you were gay." Gwen muttered, patting Bianca's cheeks.

"I am _not _gay." Percy walked over to where the girls were. There was a bump on the top of Bianca's head. "It worked: that's what matters." he muttered, handing Gwen her sword. She flicked it and it turned back into a ring. He paused, noticing for the first time the tiny seashells and fish etched into it.

"Yeah, I'm sure in his time he didn't run into that many gender-confused guys."

"Shut up, Gwen. Do you know what happened to Grover?"

She paused from her Bianca slapping and looked around.

"Grover!" she called, "I thought you said you couldn't climb trees."

"I can't! I flew." Grover was stuck in a tree. A couple broken branches were crushing him to the upper branches. He looked a little worse for wear, a bunch of leaves in his curly hair. Percy went over and began to pull off some large branches.

"The world's first flying faun." Percy announced.

"Satyr." Grover corrected.

Percy could practically feel Gwen tense up behind him. He felt himself tense at the thought of remembering Greek life. Of remembering everything. Of being Greek again. Of loosing Gwen. Would she come with him to Greek life or would he have to stay with her in her Roman life?

He suddenly felt for Jason Grace.

He remembered Jason's anxious face when Piper had asked if he would stay with her and Leo. He thought about Jason's unsure face. Jason wasn't sure what was in store for him back at his original camp. He liked his new camp. He liked his new friends. But he didn't know.

Percy sighed and continued to pull off branches.

He didn't know.

_**15: The World's Best Fart**_

"**I'm still hungry." Grover announced** after they'd gotten him down from his tree prison. Gwen shot him a dark look. He shut up immediately. At least his mouth did. His stomach, however, rumbled. He scooped down and uprooted some grass to nibble on.

"Grover, please tell me you have _some _idea where Stilbe might be." Percy groaned, Bianca's weight beginning to add up. She hadn't been that heavy at first but it seemed she was gaining weight the longer he carried her over his shoulder. He hoped she would wake up soon.

"If I knew where she was, we wouldn't have run into Sykeus or Sinis in the first place!" Grover snapped. "Oh," he moaned, putting a hand to his head, "Being without food makes me irritable..."

"It's all good, man," Percy threw him a smile, "You're becoming more outspoken. That's good."

Grover nodded his head up and down rapidly, chewing vigorously on some more grass he'd ripped out.

"We've been looking for Stilbe the rest of the night we didn't spend fighting Sykeus." Percy said. "We've been walking a good part of today, too."

"Sounds to me like you're trying to get a break." Gwen said slyly, peeking at him from the corner of her eye, "We only had maybe an hour till daybreak and we've been walking around for maybe an hour and a half. Drama Queen."

"I'm just saying, it would be nice to have a rest. Maybe see why Bianca still hasn't woken up..."

"Baby." Gwen teased but she veered off their track and plopped down onto a large old tree's roots. Percy sighed in relief and tried to set Bianca down carefully. Her head hit the trunk of the tree with a loud _thunk. _Gwen raised an eyebrow but otherwise made no comment.

"So, Grover, you're Percy's best friend?" Gwen asked after a few dull minutes. Grover paused from his grazing.

"Uh-huh. We've been friends since Percy was twelve." Grover smiled nervously at Percy as if he might remember. The vision of them first meeting flashed through his head. Also something about three old ladies with socks. That was kind of random.

"Not an on-and-off-friendship? That sounds nice..." Gwen looked away. Her face hardened then she looked back to them. Totally fine.

"Don't you have any friends?" Grover asked, a few pieces of grass falling out of his mouth.

"Before you guys? Not really. There's Daisy you might consider, Bristle _was, _and Jason used to be..."

"You used to be friends with Jason?" Percy asked.

"Yeah..." Gwen sighed, looking off into space. She was in another time. Another place. Another life.

"Wanna tell us about it?" Percy asked, eager to know more.

"Jason came to the camp when he was two." Gwen sighed, as if she couldn't keep the story inside her very much longer. "He's only about a year younger than me. It was an easy friendship. Something you might do for survival even. He was two and I was three. He was lost and I was friendless. It just worked. Lupa didn't say anything to discourage. She must have just let us because we were babies. Literally.

"Lupa didn't tell us who Jason really was. You know, that he was a son of Jupiter. She wanted to play it out, I guess. Teach him that he had to do hard work to gain respect, not be the son of the top god. So he and I were in the Mercury cabin together for years. We would share the same cot. We would sit by each other. We would train with each other. When I decided to get better and fight for my stance in the camp, Jason was always there encouraging me. When I got better, he got better too. We promised we were best friends for life." Gwen heaved a sigh.

"It all changed of course when I stood up to Georgina and was claimed. It all changed..." Gwen didn't say anything else.

"What happened?" Percy prompted.

"After I was claimed, Jason was claimed. Juno was his patron but Jupiter was his father. He became known by his father. We went to live in our empty cabins. I cried all night because it was lonely and dark. In the morning, when I went to go see Jason, to get my best friend for practice, he told me to go away. He told me that we couldn't be friends since I was from Neptune and he from Jupiter. He said that since our fathers didn't like each other. We couldn't like each other. He got his new friends. People that weren't enemies of Jupiter. And I got nothing."

"What about Bristle?" Grover asked.

"He...he..." Gwen's voice caught a little, "He used to be the accent to Jason and I. He would pop in and we would welcome him like a brother. After we were claimed...they sent him away to find Pan. He was much too young. Much...he died about a week later. Someone had found his body."

"What about...Daisy was it?" Percy asked, bumping knees with Gwen.

"Ah," Gwen's eyes took on a different light, a cheerfully sad light, "Daisy Dukes."

"Nice." Percy laughed.

"She's the child of two demigods." Gwen smiled, "A demigod of Minerva and a demigod of Venus."

"How'd that happen?" Grover chuckled, spotting some big green leaves on the tree above him. His eyes got dreamily big.

"Son of Venus knew how to spike drinks. Daughter of Minerva was nervous at a party-yes, Romans do have parties, Grover-and badda bing, badda boom, there was Daisy." Percy laughed at her choice of words. "Daisy's kinda like me in a sense. She's really pretty but she likes to wear glasses because she can't see without them and she doesn't like contacts cause she thinks they'll give her cancer. Venus side. She loves architecture."

"Like Annabeth..." Percy interrupted.

"Yes," Gwen agreed, her voice soft, "Like your Annabeth. That was her Minerva side. But her smart family didn't like her because she had her blonde moments (like the contacts) and she took EVERYTHING literally. The Venus bunch didn't like her because she did have her smart points. Of course, she had a little trouble with the rest of the Romans because she's sweeter than honey. She's the most Greek Roman I've ever met."

"You don't consider her your friend?" Grover asked.

"Well-"

"I don't remember meeting her." Percy added.

"You didn't. That's the thing about the children of demigods. They might be as powerful as their parents or even stronger when it's a mix-but they attract even less attention from monsters. Daisy doesn't come to camp much and when she does, she's lonely. Sometimes she hangs with me when no one's paying attention but I've always been too Greek for my own good so she was told to stay away. She doesn't have enough confidence to say 'no' to them. Some day, when she learns her worth, she'll be some force to reckon with. In a ditsy-smart blonde way." Gwen looked up to Percy, a cautious look in her eyes, "Maybe Annabeth can help her when she comes to First Legion with Jason."

"Gwen, you rock." Percy smiled at her.

There was a crunching sound.

Grover was yanking leaves off the tree above and was enjoying them like they were chips.

Suddenly he froze.

"Grove, you okay?" Percy asked, looking him up and down.

Then there was a sound like a giant balloon had just been set free.

"EW!" Gwen and Percy stumbled away. Bianca jerked out of her unconsciousness and scrambled after them.

"That was the biggest fart I've ever done!" Grover whispered.

"That's the worst fart I've ever smelt!" Percy complained, his shirt over his nose. Gwen and Bianca were gaging and cupping their hands over their own noses.

"At least it revived Bianca!" Grover said sheepishly.

"I don't think 'revive' is the appropriate terminology." Percy groaned, backing up even more.

"Sorry, guys," Grover hung his head, "That only happens if I eat something from a nymph tree."

"What?" Gwen demanded.

"It only happens-"

"You only ate grass and those leaves! Grover, you found a nymph!" Gwen rushed forward to put her hands on the bark of the tree they'd been lounging on.

"You may have killed her." Percy muttered.

Bianca punched him on the shoulder. "Be nice." she hissed.

"Dear tree, forgive our rude ways." Gwen purred. "Forgive our faun friend and his attack on your fruitful branches. Forgive our rough manners on your trunk and roots. Please aid us in our journey so that we may carry on our work and leave you in peace with gratitude in our wake."

A woman melted out of the bark slowly. Gwen moved out of her way, straight, tall, and proud, radiating respect. Grover jumped out of her way with a startled "Blah-ha-ha!", scrunching his back over like the terrified goat he was.

"You seek my aid, smooth-tongued heroes?"

"Yes, Lady of the Woods, we seek another nymph by the name of Stilbe. The sister of the well known laurel Daphne."

"And what would you do with this nymph if you do find her with my help?" the woman smoothed out her grass woven dress.

"We hope to ask her for a token. A token we hope that she has from Daphne. We seek to liberate a fellow demigod, a girl from the sun. She was stolen away and can only be refound if we present her captors with two tokens. One from a coin and one from the tree of Apollo's love."

Percy was _so _glad Gwen was talking and not him. He would have messed something up and offended the nymph. She probably would have broken a branch over his head or something.

"You say you have a token of coin?" the woman looked at Percy, as if she knew where it was.

"A bronze token buried with the roots of the famed flower Narcissus." Gwen explained.

"May I see the treasure?"

"Maybe you can help." Percy stepped forward and offered her the coin.

"Careful, the edges are sharp." Gwen warned.

The nymph took the coin and turned it over in her hands. Her face was sooth, expressionless, like she was wearing her own unbreakable Roman mask. She looked back up to Gwen and Percy with her bright blue eyes.

"Dear child, this edge is smooth. It has been for many years."

"But, but, it pricked Gwen." Percy stuttered like an idiot. "And even I thought the edge was sharp."

"Tokens are used for control. You say the edge pricked your sister? You say you want an ancient token from a tree a god loves? _Tokens are used to control people. _Be careful when you hand these pieces over. You may get the freedom of that stolen companion but you may loose the lives the tokens hold. Beware bronze. Beware leaf. Beware what you seek. Who am I to take away from your quest, though? You are so young, so full of life, so yet to learn of life. Sometimes you must learn through mistakes."

She looked at them.

"I have no fear for Daphne-she has been disconnected from this leaf for centuries. But who shall this frail token control? I hope you have some plan. I hope you understand the stakes." With that, she reached into the trunk of her tree and pulled out a small wooden box.

"You're Stilbe?" Percy gasped, feeling foolish for not realizing it earlier.

"Yes, young hero, I am the nymph which you seek." she smiled at them lightly. She gave the small box to Percy.

"But, then, if you're Stilbe, aren't you supposed to be in Greece?" Bianca stepped forward to ask.

"Ah," Stilbe said, her eyes becoming a little icy as she looked at Bianca, "Dark Daughter, so true. But I am a nymph of a tree. Trees have seeds. Winds and birds and peoples spread my seeds. One of my seeds fell here. I am able to journey to where my seeds fall, where my extensions are." Stilbe watched Bianca slowly. "My children and grandchildren and so on are kind enough to let me share their trees every so often. But I have taken advantage of this tree's space for much too long." she looked at Gwen and Percy and gave them a warm smile. "Keep your friend away from my children's leaves or they shall make him remember." she wagged a teasing finger at Grover who shuffled his feet.

And with another icy look Bianca's way, Stilbe melted back into the tree's bark. A wind ruffled the tree's leaves and there was a sound like someone sighing. The wind twirled and danced away from them, with it, Percy somehow knew, Stilbe.

"Way to let your stomach lead the way, man." Percy applauded, smiling at the red faced Grover.

Grover mumbled something about old underwear and blueberries.

"Are you sure," Bianca asked slowly, "That we're doing the right thing by giving these tokens for Reyna?"

"How can you say something like that?" Percy snapped.

"Percy," Gwen chided, stepping in front of Bianca protectively, "She has a point. We need to look at this from all points. Who might these tokens control? The leaf might control Apollo because he was in love with Daphne."

"The coin might control you, Gwen, because it took your blood." Percy pointed out, his voice dangerously soft. Dozens of unpleasant images of Gwen being controlled by the giants flashed through his head. He didn't want to give them the coin.

"Gwen, we can't give them the coin if it will..." he trailed off.

"Control me? Kill me?" Gwen asked.

"You say it like it doesn't scare you." Grover commented. Gwen's mask didn't budge. Percy wondered what she really thought. But she only shrugged her shoulders.

"Apollo can take care of himself, some other god can take him down. Our mission was to get Reyna back, not think of some consequences or irrational possibilities and chicken out. Let's go. If I'm not afraid and it's my life on the line, you shouldn't be all freaked."

_Strong words, _Percy thought to her, _But what do you really think?_

_I think we need to find Reyna and get her back to First Legion._

_Sometimes it's okay to be afraid, Gwen._

_Sometimes you have to man up and bite down your own fear._

_So you're afraid? _Percy asked.

_You're impossible._

"Percy, let's see that leaf." Grover interrupted their silent showdown unknowingly.

"Oh, yeah, that sounds good!" Percy completely forgot for a moment about everything else as he ran a hand over the box. It was smooth and carved beautifully with a sender, gorgeous tree on the top.

He hesitated for a moment before opening the box.

Placed in the red velvet was a single leaf.

A leaf from a laurel tree.

A leaf from _the _laurel tree.

A token.

That controlled someone.

But who?

_I'm not afraid. _Gwen said silently, placing a hand on his.

He looked up into her big green eyes. Eyes just like his. He didn't want to loose his sister. He knew he couldn't. Percy knew it would be like Annabeth. The empty feeling in a place of his heart. Except he knew, for no real reason, that he'd see Annabeth again. But if he lost Gwen forever, and if it was his fault this time, he didn't know if he could go on.

So he told the truth.

"But _I_ am."


	6. Chapter 6

_**16: Percy and Gwen Go Down the Rabbit Hole **_

"So, what's next?" Bianca asked.

As if on cue, an arrow flew through the air.

"AHH!" Grover screamed. The arrow had hit him. Sort of. He was hanging by the sleeve of his shirt in a tree. "There's a note on the arrow!"

"Grover, stop hanging around." Percy said when he decided that no more arrows would come flying through the air.

"Ha, ha, that's extremely funny, Percy. How about you almost get killed by an arrow by some random person then you can joke!" Grover snapped, pale as a sheet. Gwen pulled out one of her swords and cut off the back of the arrow. She pulled off the note. Percy grabbed Grover by the shirt and tugged him off the stake.

"_Two, such an odd number," _Gwen read.

"_Yet that's all who can come deep into Gaea's slumber._

"_Duo, for the life of your girl,_

"_You must bring my two pearl."_

"What's that supposed to mean?" Percy asked.

"It means," Bianca said, her cold black eyes seeming to go through him, "That only two of us can go save Reyna. It means that we have to take our tokens and bring it down into the earth."

"Who's gonna go?" Grover whispered, his eyes getting bigger as he stared at the ground.

Percy suddenly remembered how fauns didn't do underground places.

"Gwen and I will go." Percy said.

"And why's that?" Bianca asked, putting her hands on her hips. Her voice was small and a little timid even when she was trying to sound brave and a little annoyed.

"Because," Gwen said, "it's my quest."

"Fine." Bianca said, "Why Percy?"

"Because I'm the second best fighter." Percy said, "We have the advantage with telepathy and we can heal with water."

Bianca huffed, even though she looked a little relieved. She adjusted the bows on her shoulder.

The touch of gold on Reyna's gleamed in the noon sun.

"Gwen, we're a day early. Summer solstice is tomorrow." Percy was surprised. He'd thought they'd come rushing into the cave with only a couple minutes to spare or something like that.

"I told you I would rather be early than late."

"I don't think I've ever been early on a deadline before. I'm always terrible with deadlines. How'd we do that?"

"This just means that Reyna will be able to enjoy the solstice without being chained to some post. If you think we're hungry, imagine her."

Grover nodded, looking sad.

"We'll buy her an enchilada later." he said. The thought seemed to cheer _him _up. At least someone was happy.

"Enchilada?" Bianca asked, a small smile pulling at her thin lips.

"Enchiladas are blessings the gods gave us for something we did that was big." Grover looked up into the sky dreamily.

"Translation:" Gwen said, laughing, "Enchiladas are a god-send and Grover is very, very hungry and is fantasizing. B, make sure he doesn't get on the wrong side of another nymph. And, if he does, stay out of the way."

"Gwen," Percy crossed his arms, "I hate to burst your bubble, but the riddle didn't say anything about how we're going to find the cave."

"Cave?" Gwen asked, then she shook her head, "Ah, you had dreams, didn't you? Anyway, we don't need a riddle. We have a guide."

"Where?" Grover looked around, spinning in a circle as fast as his goat legs could move.

"Someone shot that arrow." Gwen glanced at the arrow then started off in the way that it was pointing away from. "Stay out of trouble, Grover. Bianca will tattle if you don't."

Percy touched his pockets. In one was a blood-sucking coin. In the other was a very old leaf from a girl that had turned into a tree. _Thalia. _The name had come to him from nowhere. A flash of electric blue eyes appeared in his vision. Gwen glanced at him.

Then they couldn't see Bianca and Grover anymore.

"You know how many ways this could all go wrong?" Percy asked.

"Yes and then some." Gwen sighed. "I'm going to try to think positively, though."

"Sometimes it's all you have." Percy said, remembering something Gwen had said earlier.

"Yeah..." Gwen turned around to smile at him. He put an arm around her waist and they walked even deeper into the forest.

Something dropped from the trees. Percy had his sword out in an instant. He would have moved in front of Gwen if she didn't also have her swords out and was facing the something too.

"I see you got my notes. Do you have my treasures?"

The thing stepped forward.

The god was glowing with a slightly pink tinge. He was tall and lily-white skinned. His hair was golden curls and his eyes were baby blue. His large wings slowly folded while he lowered his bow. And...

"Dude," Percy said, "You know you're only wearing boxers, right?"

The god scowled at him.

"Seriously," he continued, "Not appropriate. There's a girl here."

Percy thought back to his dreams of the god. He must have changed between pink and red heart boxers to a pink loin cloth. Neither that Percy really approved of. Percy glanced at Gwen out of the corner of his eye. Her face was as hard as steel. He thought he saw a slight twinkle in her eye but he must have been imagining it. A twinkle and her current face were just not something that mixed.

"Follow me." he said angrily, turning away from them. His wings were shaking.

"You're Cupid." Gwen said, slowly following him, "Why would you do this? Why would you help Gaea? You're a traitor to the gods." Her voice was emotionless. Every word was spoken matter-of-factly. Percy couldn't believe he hadn't realized who the winged god was before. It was so obvious. Cupid looked over his shoulder slightly.

"Spunky. Porphyrion will appreciate the life."

"Where'd you get spunky?" Percy asked in Gwen's slow, even voice, "She has absolutely no emotion."

"I have been around for many years, demigods. You'd think I could read between the lines of a young Roman's words. You both have courage and life." Cupid began to sigh but caught himself. "No more talking." he said severely.

"What would your mother say?" Percy asked.

"I said no more talking."

"You're a disgrace to the gods." Gwen told him in her matter-of-fact voice. Cupid spun around and put an arrow to her throat. Percy touched his sword to Cupid's neck. Gwen had her swords on his arm and gut.

"Do you really want to fight a god, little heroes?" he snarled.

"I've fought Ares and won." Percy said. He knew the words were almost true. He knew he'd fought Ares. He might have been bluffing a bit on winning but he couldn't really remember. Ares's furious face popped into his head, though. Gwen didn't say anything about how he'd used the god's Greek name. He'd fought the Greek god, not the Roman one.

"That's right. I remember that. That was a very interesting fight." Cupid chuckled, his face giving away to a boyish look before he controlled himself and fixed a nasty scowl on his face. "Swords up, heroes."

"So you can run us through while we're not prepared? I don't think so." Percy scowled right back at him.

"Keep them out, then, for all I care." Cupid snapped, pulling his arrow away from Gwen's throat. Gwen and Percy pulled their swords away. They didn't put them up though.

"So, where's the cave?" Percy asked.

"Who told you about a cave?" Cupid snapped, spinning back around, his fluffy pink arrow held threateningly.

"Feathers," Percy said, looking at the arrow, "I'm terrified. I'm a demigod, remember?"

"Demigod dreams." Cupid muttered, "Great." He stopped suddenly. Percy and Gwen stopped a few steps behind him. He looked at them then at the bare patch of dirt in front of him. "Welcome." he said, his voice dark. He tapped his arrow on the ground.

The ground shook a little and a hole appeared.

A tunnel.

"Trust me?" Cupid asked.

"In that case," Gwen replied evenly, "We'll stay out here."

Cupid glared at her. Percy took her elbow and they began down the hole.

"Down the Rabbit Hole." Percy muttered. As soon as they got in, the entrance closed up. The only light came from Cupid's pink glow and their swords' bronze hue. The light was still horrible. Percy heard a _click-click. _

Bob was reaching a claw out to him. Without really thinking, Percy offered him his finger. Bob pinched it lightly and held onto it. He snapped at Gwen next. She put up one of her swords and gave Bob her finger. Bob jumped off her shoulder and swung between them like a little kid.

_Are you okay? _Percy asked her.

_Sure. _Her voice, even in his head, shook a little.

_Will you tell me? To pass the time at least? _

Gwen turned her head but he couldn't make out her expression.

_To pass the time..._she murmured in his mind. Bob held Percy's finger a little tighter as if he too was listening to their thoughts. Percy wondered if Bob actually could.

Then the pictures came.

They flooded into his head so he could only see them. Bob's cool claw was the only thing that reminded him where he was. It felt like Percy was watching a movie.

There was a little Gwen. Her face was scrunched up. Percy could literally see her heart shattering while a tall little blonde haired boy walked away from her, his own shoulders tight.

_After I lost all my friends, and no one would talk to me..._Gwen's voice said in its smooth quality. _ I lasted for about a week._

Gwen was fighting against different campers, her face steel, her eyes dangerous, her swords a blur.

_Fighting was the only way I got any respect. They still didn't talk to me, but they didn't mess with me either. The Mars cabin were careful with what insults they used otherwise a little kid would beat them up and make them look like a bunch of idiots. _

_They don't need the help, _Percy interrupted.

Gwen laughed a little out loud.

_Anyway, I decided I couldn't go any longer. _

Jason's face was glaring. His big blue eyes looked like they were hurting, though. Gwen could only see the anger. At her.

_So I decided to runaway. _

Gwen was slowly packing a couple purple shirts and a few shells into a small backpack. She slipped it on and snuck out of Neptune's cabin. She skirted around the other cabins and kept in the shadows.

_I hardly got out of the borders. _

She stepped out and Percy watched her visibly relax. Then there was a rustling. Her whole body turned to it. She was too scared and unsure to pull out her swords.

_And then it came._

Something huge and black burst out of the thick trees. It was already dark but somehow the creature made the night darker with its presence. Every shadow, every unfathomably dark patch seemed to grow and lean towards Gwen's little being, frozen with fear.

Two little red eyes were watching her. They were laughing. They were loving the fear they were causing the little child. The claws gleamed even though there was no real light for them to catch. They were huge and appeared mean. The mouth opened to reveal yellow teeth the size of the claws. The creature hunched over and gave a coughing laugh.

It was a huge, evil, mutant badger.

The little Gwen screamed.

The same scream that Percy had heard from the pit.

The scream he never wanted to hear again.

_The scream no one heard. _Gwen whispered in her bitter voice.

The monster leapt forward. Gwen rolled out of the way, still shrieking. The thing caught her backpack. She slipped out of it as fast as she could and began to run for First Legion's border. Percy heard her backpack being ripped to shreds. The monster gave a shriek Fury-worthy. It grabbed her by the back of her shirt.

Gwen pulled and it slashed at her with its free claw. Gwen screamed again as her blood fell on the grass. It slung her away from the border and watched her scramble to her feet. It gave another laugh then hissed when she flicked out her celestial bronze.

It circled her. Gwen kept her bronze even with it. It swiped, she deflected. It went on like that, just a dangerous dance that would end quickly if one of them made a little misstep.

When Gwen got close enough to the border, she leapt for it. The angry badger thing slashed at her and caught her leg. She rolled down in the grass. The badger shrieked again. But it was stuck on the outside, unable to cross the boundaries and Gwen was on the opposite side, crying and holding her wounds.

_How'd they find you? _Percy asked. Holding onto the picture of his sister so young, so fragile, so hurt and vulnerable, he realized he'd probably never seen her totally without her Roman mask before. She would loosen up on it incredibly but she'd never actually let her emotions run totally free. He was probably seeing the last moment of her pure emotion.

_Jason found me._

Big blue eyes filled with concern. Jason held Gwen close to him. Two little people, remembering their friendship. It hadn't been long ago that they had spent every moment with each other. It came natural for Jason to be worried about his best friend. She was covered in blood.

"I just _felt _something was wrong. Gwen, try to walk. I'll help you. You're going to be okay." his voice was so worried. Neither of them had gotten the hang of the Roman mask in the face of that much trouble.

He helped her up, Gwen crying into his shirt the whole way.

Bob squeezed their fingers even tighter.

_How could he not go back to being your friend? _Percy wondered to her.

_He was commended on helping a fellow soldier. I was disgraced for trying to run away. I quickly showed a few Mars and Hermes big mouths I was not to be trifled with when they thought I should be told off. I deserved every word they said, but it still didn't stop me from half drowning them._ Gwen laughed dryly.

A group of water-logged teens.

_How did Jason act? _Percy asked.

_He acted like nothing had happened. He acted like I didn't exist. When we did cross paths, he didn't say my name. When we were old enough to make decisions for the camp, he called me by my rank. Lieutenant. That's what he always called me. I called him Captain in return. There was always a sourness between us. At least it felt that way to me. Maybe because I lost my best and only friend just because our fathers didn't get along the majority of the time. He seemed happy with his new friends though, so at least one of us got something..._

_What are you now that Jason's gone?_

_Jason will return. _Gwen's voice rang with Roman loyalty. Percy wondered how she could do it. _I will always be Lieutenant to the Romans. No matter if Jason, the gods forbid, falls in battle. I will be above you in rank now, Percy. But, if Jason falls, you will go to Captain. _

_Not you? _Percy asked.

_No, I am for suggestions. I am the fighter. You and Jason are our leaders. The Romans will never fully except you, but you will be one of us. You will be like me: respected but shunned. Silly but not to be messed with. That's the way things will go. I suppose it will be the same with Bianca. _Gwen shrugged her shoulders and Bob swung back and forth.

_But B's one-hundred percent Roman. _Percy argued.

_She's the daughter of Pluto. Children of Hades and Pluto are always held at arm's length-at closest. _

_You embrace her._

_I am Greek. Family is my loyalty. Not war. But, also, to get back on topic, she holds traces of Greek in her. She was first born. Her brother was younger and Greek. Her father remained Greek and stayed with them long enough to leave Greek imprints on B. What a story._

Percy had a feeling, somewhere, in the jumbled chaos that was called the memory part of his brain, he knew more about the di Angelos and their life before the camps.

_It's curious, _Percy said, _That all the Big Three stayed with the same woman and had two children. _

_I'll tell you what's curious, _Gwen said, swinging her sword in his direction, _This whole mess. This whole world. This whole Greek and Roman world. This whole "the earth is going to rise up with giant children and kill you!" business. _

_Gwen, _Percy whispered in her head, _Do you ever wish you weren't a demigod? That you weren't a kid of Poseidon? That you were just some random mortal with a normal life and a normal family?_

Gwen paused a few seconds before answering.

_I used to. In the beginning. When I wasn't claimed. Or when I had no one. But, honestly, I kind of like to be a demigod. I think it would just be too dull without trying to fight for your life 24/7. I like to stay on my toes and fight monsters, not all the time, mind you, but I like the adventure. I like all the funny things and how you have to do things or get blasted into oblivion. I like how the rituals aren't from just crazy people. I like how all this is real, even though it can be old and hurtful. I like that I'm different, that I can be a hero, that I can have you. I like this life. It just seems to get better and better, the longer you're in it. I wouldn't have it any other way._

_Even when you turned into a Pegasus? _Percy teased.

_That was a very interesting experience. _Gwen answered good naturedly. _You should try it sometime. _

_I'm good. You can have all the horse time you want._

Gwen laughed.

Then their pink night light armed with fuzzy arrows stopped. He turned slightly to look at them.

"So, we come to the end of the Rabbit Hole." he gave a cheerless chuckle then tapped the dead end in front of him.

Bob let go of Percy's finger and scuttled back up to hide behind Gwen's free hair. Percy look hold of Gwen's hand and raised his right hand a little more so Riptide would cast a little more light as the ground moved around to show the cave.

_**17: Percy's Worst Plan**_

The cave was lit up by only a couple of torches. In the very back, where the light couldn't reach, there was a deep black. A rumbling shook the cave. Bob held onto Gwen's hair tighter, hiding behind it.

"Reyna!" Gwen cried, running forward to the pale figure chained to the wall. "Who are you?" she asked to the other person chained next to her.

"Gwen..." Reyna gasped.

"Away from them, demigod!" Cupid snarled.

"Nonsense, Cupid." a voice rumbled. Percy felt the hair on the back of his neck raise. "We must be hospitable to our honored guests."

The rumbling increased and changed into giant footsteps. The giant stepped out of the shadows and into the bad but present light. He was huge. His head scraped the very top of the cave's incredibly high ceiling. His bronze armor gleamed in the light. Everything got darker instead of brighter though.

His skin was lime green, his hair was summer-leaf green, wound into dreadlocks with swords and axes and arrows, and the lower half of his body was thick and scaly like he was half dragon. He grinned a wicked smile when Percy's heart skipped a beat. His eyes were pure white. No color. What so ever.

"I am Porphyrion." the creature rumbled, a few stones fell from the ceiling. "I am the king of the giants."

"You're green." Percy announced, as always, the smart one.

_Master of the obvious. _Gwen hissed in his head.

"Just throwing that out there." he continued.

"It's nice to know that demigods can tell which colors are what." Porphyrion growled.

"I believe we had a deal," Percy began, proud that his voice sounded pretty even for as freaked as he was. "We bring you the tokens and you give us our friend."

"Is that what the deal was?" Porphyrion asked, grinning down at Percy. He felt his stomach drop. He could only nod.

"Hm. I believe Cupid made that deal with you. I'm not bound to it."

Percy's knees felt weak. He didn't know if he could fight the giant king.

"Oh, but don't look so scared, little hero." Percy tightened his grip on his sword. He refused to look scared.

_Now you look constipated. _Gwen whispered in his head.

He glanced over at her. He must have just imagined her voice because her face didn't look like it had joked in years. He returned to thinking about how to rearrange his face so that he didn't look as scared as he was or constipated, which he wasn't.

"I have a proposition you just can't say no to."

Percy had a bad feeling Porphyrion meant that comment literally.

"I have become aware of how powerful a few of you little demigods are. You. Your sister. Jason. Your little friend outside."

Percy's heart began to hammer in his throat.

Something bad was going to happen.

_We need to get out of here. _He thought to Gwen. _Now._

"Jason proved to be a disappointment."

Stomp. Stomp. Stomp.

Percy got the impression the giant was trying to walk lightly around. It wasn't working out. Another skull wiggled free and hit Cupid on the top of the head.

_Ha, ha. Serves you right. _Percy thought darkly.

"I am hoping you are more worthy of my time, Percy Jackson."

"Naw, I'm more in the let down business."

Porphyrion narrowed his marble eyes.

"I'm just here for Reyna. Nothing more. Nothing less. See, I brought your vampire coin," he pulled it out and tossed it on the ground, "And your really old leaf," he pulled out the box and tossed it next to the coin, "And now that you have what you asked for, we get what you took from us." Percy crossed his arms, Riptide resting a little awkwardly on his shoulder.

"You really think it's that easy, boy?" Porphyrion rumbled, beginning to laugh. It was a frightful sound. It was like a freight train full of rubber duckies mixed with the sound of a really bad dog fight. Percy flinched then recovered. "I don't really see why it shouldn't be." Percy answered, worry edging his voice. Gwen glanced at him. For a flash, she looked worried. Reyna was watching them silently, her own Roman mask completely gone.

"Look at me, hero!" Percy flinched again. _Do I have to? _he thought. "I am underground! I am the king giant! I belong in the sky! But here I am, hiding in my mother's realm! This is the only place I can be without the gods snooping around. I will have my revenge for my mother and my brothers! The gods will not remain in the sky, looking down at me! They will know the pain of Tarturus! I will never need to hide again. I will take my rightful place in the sky. I will tear down Olympus. I will replace it with my kingdom. The mortals, those puny misfits not worthy of my time, will be used for slaves and humor." Another laugh, "Here's my offer, boy. You only have one chance. Join me and help me defeat the gods. In return I'll allow you to survive. I won't kill your mother or step-father. Do we have ourselves a deal?"

An evil grin.

"How do you know about them?" Percy demanded.

_Percy! _Gwen gasped in his head, _Control! Don't let him know he's getting to you!_

Percy was so mad though, his vision was getting fuzzy. Porphyrion was still uglier than mud, unfortunately.

Percy pointed his sword threateningly at him.

Porphyrion didn't seem fazed.

"I have my ways, hero. Mainly a little bird named Cupid."

Percy spun around to fix the minor god with his best "I'm going to rip your throat out" stare he learned from Clarisse. Cupid shrank away.

"Gwen said it all," Percy snarled, "You are a miserable traitor to the gods and all things good."

Cupid's pink glow seemed to go dimmer.

Porphyrion chuckled, seeming to enjoy the tension and malice that had grown in the room.

"So, Jackson, do we have a deal? The life of your family for your help."

"Wait," Percy snarled, "First we do Cupid's deal. I'm not getting pushed around. We came here for Reyna. We're going to get Reyna because we went through monster crap and back."

"You aren't going to be pushed around?" Porphyrion asked, bending over and shoving a huge finger on Percy's chest. He stumbled back.

"No. I won't!" Percy tried to stand his ground. Porphyrion flicked him into the ground.

"Release the little girl, Cupid."

Cupid nodded eagerly and started towards Reyna but Gwen already had her swords out. She slashed through the chains like they were nothing. Reyna fell into Gwen's arms. Gwen's swords fell to the ground with a clatter.

"Spirit is what I seek, boy. Spirit and loyalty and malice for the gods." Porphyrion laughed.

"I have spirit." Percy said. "I have loyalty. Not for you, though. The gods are my family. I will never turn against them."

Percy heard Cupid catch his breath. He didn't think about it.

Until Porphyrion's face twisted.

It twisted into something that matched the rest of his body. Not of this world. Evil. Wicked. Plotting.

"This is something you don't want to say no to, Jackson."

"No." Percy looked up at the huge being and wished he had more of a plan than "no" but nothing promising was coming to mind.

"One more chance, and this time I'll give you more of a reason to agree." With that, he turned his gaze to Reyna and Gwen. Percy didn't realize what was about to happen fast enough.

The giant swung and Reyna and Gwen went flying across the room. They smashed into the hard wall.

"NO!" Percy bellowed, taking a step their direction.

But the giant was faster and Percy's head was spinning.

"LET GO!" Gwen screamed. The giant raised himself to his full height, Gwen struggling in his fist. Her swords gleamed across the room, next to the other prisoner.

"LET HER GO!" Percy yelled up at him.

Porphyrion simply laughed his rubber ducky train laugh.

"Cupid, I don't require your services at the present. Leave!"

There was a rustling as Cupid spread his wings and took off out the tunnels. The other prisoner wailed after him, calling his name. It nearly broke Percy's heart and he had no idea who the prisoner was.

"LET GWEN GO!" Percy bellowed, returning his attention to his sister and the huge ugly dude who was holding her.

"I'll give you an option, Jackson. Join me or watch your sister die. Join me or you can watch me crush every one of your family and friends. What about your mother? What about that little goat friend? What about your little girlfriend? Help me or they'll die." he squeezed his fist.

Gwen cried out.

Percy's vision went red. Everything was fuzzy and red.

Then he remembered something. _...Because when they get mad, they get stupid. Basic fighter's 101. _Bobby. Percy took a deep breath. He looked back up to where his sister was being crushed. He took another deep breath. The red began to abate but everything was still tinged unpleasantly with fuzz. Percy held his sword tighter.

"Let go of my sister."

"There's no debating this, hero. There's only a little yes or a little no. Choose." Porphyrion squeezed Gwen.

"Percy!" Gwen screamed, "Say 'no'!"

"Stop hurting her!"

"I'm running out of patience. And she's running out of time."

"NO!" Percy bellowed, his whole body shaking, "No! No! No! I won't betray the gods! I won't put my family's name to shame! I will defeat you and this war will end now!"

"This war hasn't even started yet, demigod. You haven't seen anything yet. Say good-bye to little sister!"

"NO!" Percy bellowed.

Then everything happened at once.

_**18: Surprises That Come With Being a Demigod**_

Percy threw Riptide with as much force as he could.

Bob jumped off Gwen's shoulder.

The earth under Percy's feet began to move.

The tunnel exploded behind them.

Riptide flew into Porphyrion's eye.

The giant reared back, bellowing, squeezing.

Bob grew and changed in an instant to a huge jellyfish.

That wrapped around the giant's hand.

And zapped.

The earth rumbled and moved and shook and changed.

In Percy's power.

The tunnel exploded with Bianca, Grover, and Cupid.

All throwing arrows or sticks.

Gwen fell from Porphyrion's hand.

Bob, in jellyfish form, wrapped his tentacles around her.

And they fell.

Porphyrion was peppered with arrows.

He fell back, bellowing.

The earth opened up and he fell.

Squished in a too small crack.

"GWEN!"

Percy ran for her and Bob.

Cupid broke the chains on the other prisoner.

Reyna grabbed Gwen's swords.

The ceiling of the cave began to fall.

Percy grabbed Gwen.

Bob was back to being a crab.

He snapped onto Percy's hair.

Porphyrion yelled curses.

The ceiling fell on top of the giant.

"GRAB ON!"

Everyone grabbed Cupid's legs.

And they flew.

Out of the cave.

Out of Porphyrion's grasp.

Cupid raised his fist to the air.

He squeezed his hand together.

Dust fell.

The remains of Daphne's token.

The bronze coin was lost.

Forever.

Or so Percy thought.


	7. Chapter 7

_**19: A Visit From Dear Old Dad**_

**Cupid stopped flying when he reached the ocean. **

He set them down on the beach. Percy was so happy to feel the sand again that he just laid down on his stomach and dug his fingers into it. He also inhaled a few grains of sand but he decided to just deal with it and not have to explain why he was choking on a few tiny grains. Gwen smiled at him, a smile that said she knew he was trying not to hack away. He scrunched his face at her but that just made him inhale more. Gwen covered her mouth while she laughed.

"I want to apologize for my actions, demigods." Cupid said, holding the other prisoner close to him.

"You smartened up in the end." Gwen answered, "Just make sure it doesn't happen again."

"How'd you know about their family?" Reyna asked while she lay on the sand, frail and hurt looking yet incredibly intimidating.

"He's a god." Grover said, "They know pretty much everything."

"Partially." Cupid said. "We peek and eavesdrop to know everything. And, yes, many gods took to knowing more about the Jackson family because of the powerful twins and the way they communicated with the gods."

"He probably means you," Gwen told Percy, "Because I always did my absolute best to come off as respectful."

"I tried." Percy shrugged, remembering something about a box to the gods and Medusa's head.

"And he fails." Grover sighed.

"Thanks for backing me up, man." Percy said sarcastically.

"No problem." Grover nodded then seemed to catch the sarcasm. He went red.

"But I knew more about the exchange than the other gods, save Hera herself."

"Exchange?" Reyna asked.

"You know," Gwen explained, "We get Percy, they get Jason? Exchange of leaders? Wait, how come y_ou _know more about it than most of the other gods?" Cupid didn't shift under Gwen's strong gaze. He simply looked right back at her.

"My wife, Psyche, and I love each other very much. Do you know the story about us?"

"Vaguely." Grover said.

"No." Percy smiled sheepishly when Gwen glanced at him.

"Well, the story pretty much is of how I fell in love with her and how she didn't know who I was. Then, when she found out, I ran away." that time he ducked his head under Gwen's accusing gaze, "Then she went searching for me. She had many journeys. One involving going to the Underworld. Good news is, Zeus agreed to make her my immortal wife, he didn't really have a choice when my mother went on like a love strike. But, when my wife went into the Underworld for a bit of Persephone's beauty, for one of the goddesses, Psyche doesn't need anymore beauty, Persephone but it in a box for her. When my wife got out of the Underworld, she decided that she should have some. But a sleep rose out of the box. I found her sleeping, wiped the sleep away, and put it back in the box."

"And this has something to do with the giants how?" Percy asked impatiently. Bob clicked his claws next to Percy's ear.

"Hera had asked me for a way to put someone to sleep. I gave her the box that Psyche had gotten from the Underworld. Actually, I didn't give it to her, she had me put it over a demigod who she'd traveled across the country then dropped on his head."

"Me?" Percy asked.

"Yes, Jackson, you. When Hera was freed from her prison, which I didn't know she was in, she forgot about the demigod. She remembered a month or two after her freedom but she wasn't sure how to wake you up. So she called on me. When I woke you up, I got a good look at you. I realized who you were. It was dark when I put the sleep over you, you see, so I didn't know. It wasn't hard then to figure out the switch. Then Porphyrion took my Psyche and tortured her until I told him something useful. So I told him about the switch. The gods damn me, I told him."

"That's why we couldn't wake Percy up. Not even in water." Gwen muttered, "I wondered that when he was officially claimed as a son of Neptune. But I just decided the water didn't have the same effect on concussions as broken bones and scratches."

"I ask you again, will you forgive me?" Cupid's wings drooped and he looked so pitiful and sincere.

For a moment, no one said anything, then they all nodded their heads in illusion. Bob pinched Percy on the nose and Gwen burst out laughing.

"Grover, you're hurt." Gwen said suddenly, all traces of laughter gone.

"Just a scratch." Grover said, turning red.

"But how did you get hurt?" Bianca asked, "The giant didn't attack us."

"I kind of stabbed myself. I fell on a really sharp stick when I was holding all the others. It's hard to balance all those sticks out and you should try walking with hooves for a day! It's no dream boat!"

"Percy, let me see your backpack." Gwen ordered, walking over to him and unzipping it. "There's hardly any ambrosia and nectar in here!" She glared at him as if he'd mistaken it for candy and eaten it.

"It's okay, Gwen," Grover said quickly, "I'm not half god so it would just turn me into a pile of ashes and Reyna needs it more."

Gwen nodded her head while she stood up and gave the ambrosia to Reyna. She then went and shifted through Percy's bag a little more.

"Why isn't there more?" she demanded.

"Maybe it was in your backpack." Bianca suggested.

"Oh, gods, you're right." Gwen sighed, stopping her rough search, and zipping up Percy's backpack.

"Good bye, demigods." Cupid said, holding his fragile wife close, "I wish you luck with this fight. And thank you for helping me get my wife back. Love will be on your side when the Final Battle comes."

He spread his wings and flew up and away.

"We need to get Reyna back to camp." Percy said, standing up and brushing the sand off his shirt. "She needs real attention and not just a quick pick-me-up."

Gwen nodded sharply in agreement.

"You take her and B by way of the sea. You'll get to First Legion since it borders the ocean." she ordered.

Percy started to nod his head then stopped.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what about you and Grover?"

"Grover needs to get back to his camp. In his condition, he needs help. I can fly him there and get myself back easily." Gwen's eyes were steel. Percy knew he wouldn't win.

"I don't like it." he said, crossing his arms, knowing it was a lost cause.

"Too bad. You have to deal with it. Reyna, B, try to be nice, Percy doesn't do cat fights or death and sun fights."

Percy had a feeling Gwen knew her words were unnecessary. Bianca was already helping Reyna up, Reyna's arm around Bianca's neck.

"Bob, you have some explaining to do, Mister." Gwen said suddenly. She picked him up, pulling him off Percy's hair.

"Ow! Hey! Bob! You took some of my hair!" Percy rubbed his head.

Bob clicked one pincher at him and waved the other, since it had a clawful of hair in it. Bob waved at Gwen then jumped off her hands like they were a diving board.

"Bob?" Gwen started. But the second Bob hit the ground, he changed. He shot up and thinned and changed color until there was a man standing where Bob had been.

The man was tall and deeply tanned. His hair was a wavy black and his beard was a little scruffy. He was dressed in crab swim trunks, a SpongeBob T-shirt, and flip-flops. His sea green eyes sparkled at Gwen's startled expression.

"Father." Gwen said, standing straighter.

"Dad!" Percy bounced to Gwen's side.

Poseidon gave a smile. A mixed smile. A smile that said "It's good to see you!" "I'm so proud of you." "I'm sorry." and "Are you mad at me?" all at once. He waited for their reaction. Which Percy personally felt was delayed.

"Why were you impersonating Bob the Crab?" Percy finally asked. Poseidon looked at him, eyes-a-twinkle, and laughed.

"Had to keep a close eye on my twins. Decided old Zeus," the sky gave a menacing rumble. Instinctively, every smart person took a step away from Poseidon. Which was everyone but Gwen and Percy. "was being ridiculous. I needed to get out for a bit and Gwen's never seen me as Poseidon before."

"Nor as a crab." Gwen spoke up. Poseidon laughed again.

"I'm glad I did. You both made me proud. Percy, son, you're getting more in touch with the power inside of you. Gwen, you're keeping everyone in line in your own special way."

"Thanks, Dad." Percy nodded, feeling embarrassed.

"Thank you, Father." Gwen said.

They might have stood there a little longer with their father, feeling awkward and trying to say something, if Grover hadn't put weight on his bad leg and whined a little. Percy turned around.

"Listen, Dad, thanks for all the help..." Percy started.

"But you must go." Poseidon nodded, "I understand. Help your friends. I will go with Gwen and Grover. I would just zap us there but I don't want to call anymore attention to me being here and not in Olympus. Gwen can drop me off at the Empire State Building when she flies Grover to Camp Half-Blood." he looked at Gwen and she nodded sharply in agreement. Poseidon held his hand out to Percy. Percy took it and shook it but there was something in his father's hand. He pulled back and saw the necklace Gwen had lost from Mrs. M. He slipped it silently into his pocket.

"See you later, Perc." Gwen waved to him, "One thing, though, Father." Gwen smiled sweetly when Poseidon raised his dark eyebrows. "We're stopping for lunch and you're buying enchiladas."

"ENCHILADAS!" Grover bellowed, looking half deranged.

"Someone's a little hungry." Bianca muttered quietly to Percy. He smiled. Gwen, Poseidon the Crab, and Grover flew off, disappearing into the clouds. He sighed then turned back to the sea.

"RAINBOW!" he called, wading into the water.

**Gwen: **

Enchiladas were good, Gwen had to admit. Even Poseidon seemed to enjoy himself. The best part was watching Grover enter into the Enchilada Contest and beat everyone though. A porky kid began to bawl about how much he'd practiced just to get beat by a scrawny boy in a Halloween costume. Grover didn't have any pants or shoes or a hat. All which were bad when you were a faun. In the summer. But Gwen really didn't care enough at the moment, Poseidon seemed to enjoy the whispers, and Grover's mind was just humming a song about enchiladas.

If you couldn't tell, Grover liked enchiladas.

When they got to the other side of the country, in New York, Gwen began to wonder if she really should have come with Grover. Did she really want to see the city that she should have lived in? Did she really want to see the camp she should have gone to? The friends she should have had? The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. Every mortal down in the streets, milling around, unaware that a Pegasus with a faun and a god were flying right over their heads, could have been Gwen's mother or step-father. Any one of them. Her parents could have been in Maine or they could be right below her. But she'd never know. Now now, at least.

Poseidon, the Greek father she'd never met, placed a hand on her neck. She relaxed a little, the sound of waves blocking out all her other fears and thoughts.

She landed next to the entrance of the Empire State Building. Poseidon slipped off her back. He patted her neck again and brushed her green mane out of her eyes. He smiled at her again then turned away to walk into the Empire State. Mortals were watching her a little worriedly.

They flew on until Grover began to shift around and look between her wing beats. Personally, Gwen preferred swimming to flying but it almost felt the same. If she imagined the sound of waves, the air flying around her wings felt almost like the cool comfort of waves and water.

"DOWN THERE!" Grover screamed.

Gwen dove.

The camp was in the middle of nowhere. It was in a bowl, surrounded by lush green grass that seemed to beckon to Gwen with open arms. The forest didn't look like it would inhale a demigod, chew them up, and spit the remains right back out. It looked dangerous but it had no chance of being as dangerous as the Roman forest. It required a planned attack and a full army to go monster killing. And only experts were allowed.

Gwen planted her feet firmly next to a large pine tree. The dragon wrapped around its base raised its head. Steam rolled out of its nostrils. A golden fleece sparkled in the branch above it.

Grover jumped off Gwen's back.

Gwen concentrated and changed.

Her whole body buzzed. She brushed her purple T-shirt a little even though she knew perfectly well that there was nothing on it.

"Can you get in okay?" Gwen asked.

"Yeah, I feel...great?" Grover winced. He was a terrible liar.

Gwen looked past Grover and into the camp.

There was a strawberry field that made the air sweet and lovely. A large old house sat near it. The cabins were different. All unusual and special in their own ways. Gwen's breath caught. It was better than she'd dreamed. People in orange shirts began to notice them. Gwen stepped away from Camp Half-Blood's borders. People began to gather and point to the hill top.

"When you guys bring Jason, come see us again, okay?" Gwen smiled at Grover and gave him a gentle hug.

Grover stepped over the border.

"Why don't you stay with us, Gwen? You could go back to your camp when we all go over." Grover offered timidly.

There were more orange-shirted campers than ever watching them. Gwen knew they were eyeing her purple shirt. She could feel their eyes.

"I don't belong here, Grover." Gwen gave him a weak smile.

"You're Greek." Grover pointed out, his face confused.

"I'm neither and both." Gwen stepped over the border to give Grover another hug. "Bye."

She stepped away and changed. Gwen spread her wings wide. She glanced back down the hill. The home she should have had. The Greek campers were pointing up to her with surprise now. Some were beginning to run up the hill. Gwen took off into the clear blue sky. And didn't look back.

**Percy:**

Percy ended up carrying Reyna through the shallow waters when they finally got to First Legion's bay. Reyna had stuck it out when the salt water had hit her cuts. Now she had expended all the energy she possibly could. As they stepped into view of the camp, Percy sighed, feeling, strangely, at home. At least as at home he could get at the moment.

Then someone caught sight of them.

"IT'S PERCY!"

"REYNA! REYNA'S BACK!"

"SHE'S ALIVE!"

"Where's Gwen, Percy?"

"Bianca!"

It was a mad rush that left Percy's back a little sore from all the back slaps. Bianca ended up clinging to his arm as everyone shouted her name occasionally. People would ask where Gwen was then rush after Reyna who'd been seized by a couple of Mars campers without finding out the answer. A few Apollo campers were chasing after them, ready to put their healing skills to the test.

Percy ended up laughing.

_**20: Percy's Birthday is Crashed by a Happy Boat**_

**Percy opened his eyes slowly. **

He looked up to the green fabric that had been wrapped under the bunk above him. He sat up cautiously, way too experienced in the pain of hitting his head when he got up too fast. He eased out of bed and stretched slightly, taking in a deep breath of the salt water from the fountain. He was expecting Camp Half-Blood demigods any day now. He was excited and anxious and wanted to know how he should feel about everything.

He scratched his head then took a couple long strides to Gwen's bed across the cabin. He grabbed the pillow from the above bunk and silently brought it down. Gwen's green eyes opened suddenly. Percy jumped back, laughing.

"You little!" Gwen grabbed her pillow and hit him over the head. He was laughing too hard for no good reason to fight back. He tripped over the fountain and fell into the water. Gwen set her pillow down and shook her head. She stood up and pulled her hair back.

"Happy Birthday, klutz." she announced.

"Happy Birthday, sis." Percy replied, sloshing water her way.

After a prompt breakfast, Bianca met them outside. Bobby came shortly afterwards, grinning a grin that told Percy he'd devised another plan to defeat him. Bobby hadn't won in one of their sword duels yet. Something that highly angered and motivated the son of Mars.

Gwen pulled out her swords and Bianca unsheathed her knife. They had been practicing in the mornings together so that Bianca could become efficient in the way of the knife. She'd almost defeated Percy so he'd decided it was working.

Percy pulled out Riptide, deciding to challenge himself without Tyson's shield. Bobby's eyes glittered as he jerked free his own thick sword and tightened his grip on his shield. Percy had a feeling Bobby would ram it into his face the first chance he got.

Percy's sword connected with Bobby's. He heard Gwen and Bianca clashing. Just like every morning, Gwen knocked Bianca's legs out from under her. Then she began to bark orders and ways at all three of them. It would have been annoying if it wasn't so helpful. Gwen knew exactly what a person was doing wrong even when she was locked in her own mad duel.

Switch. Percy against Gwen, Bianca against Bobby. Percy pulled out his shield. Switch. Gwen against Bobby. Bianca against Percy. A continuous fight with no breaths, no breaks, no weakness.

Lunch sent them running.

After lunch, Bianca went off with her new friend Reyna to practice archery. Gwen had to go teach a few classes. Bobby went to arts and crafts. Dakota was color coding a map. Percy was left to the Physical Arena with Daisy Dukes.

True to her name, she wore a pair of short black Daisy Dukes. She was a short blonde girl with a bob hair cut and large blue eyes. She liked to wear platform gladiator shoes in battle and training. She hid behind a large pair of round glasses. But she was rosy cheeked and glad to talk to Percy and Gwen now that the camp seemed to accept that they'd saved Reyna's life and were in charge while Jason was on "vacation". Gwen had given up trying to explain that Jason was just fine and was probably enjoying freedom. The Romans were determined that he was a prisoner. Percy told them Jason would probably shoot lightning at them if he was ever imprisoned but the Romans just snickered at the thought and continued to imagine their leader strung to a wall.

The Romans had a bit of a dramatic nature to them.

"PER-cee! Tr-ii tooo keeep uuup!" Daisy sang as she danced in front of him. Daisy was agile. Percy was pretty light on his feet but nothing like her. She was ninety percent air, ten percent Daisy. Or so she liked to say.

Percy ducked as a stream of poison tipped darts narrowly missed his head. He danced over the river of lava, still hunched over. A giant paddle came of of nowhere and hit him in the butt. He flew out of the arena. Right at Daisy's feet. She brushed her hair behind her ears and bent over a little bit.

"Keep it up, Percy, you may die next time." she said cheerfully. She skipped off. Percy got to his feet slowly, rubbing every muscle that should have been sore but wasn't.

"Cuu-mon, PER-cee!" Daisy called again. Percy slouched after her. Daisy didn't wait for you to get accustomed to how fast the darts went or how hard the paddle hit. It was a learn-on-the-job thing with her. She was a good encourager but tough as nails. Daisy earned respect with her lipstick.

Don't ask.

Dinner finally was announced and Percy moved with sincere energy for the first time all day. He appeared by Gwen's side so when she turned around, she burst out laughing.

"I think you need a change of clothes before we go sneaking off."

So maybe he'd slightly fallen into the lava river.

"I think I look great." he glanced down. "Okay, yeah, I'll go change."

"Meet you at the campfire." Gwen waved at him.

He rushed back to the Neptune cabin. All his shirts were dirty. That was always his luck. He thought about stealing one of Gwen's but hers were always too tight. He opened his chest and saw the only shirt that would fit him: his orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt.

"Fine!" he muttered, pulling it on and grabbing a pair of tan shorts. He slipped Riptide into his pocket and grabbed Gwen's present then rushed out of the cabin.

"Thought you'd died." Bobby announced.

"You wish." Percy replied, plopping down next to him and Gwen.

"I do, actually."

"Play nice, Bobby." Daisy smiled.

"Percy, why'd you have to go and wear your _Greek _shirt for?" Dakota demanded, leaning back on his hands.

"You know you're jealous." Percy answered.

"Yee-ah, all four feet and ay-ght inchies of 'im." Lynn giggled.

"Four feet and eight and half inches inches, thank you very much." Dakota replied.

"Watch out," Percy laughed, "He's getting short with us."

"Getting?" Gwen smiled, "Too late."

"What is this?" Dakota demanded, "Dis the little guy day?"

"This is what happens when you pick on Jackson's shirt." Hazel put in, "Even if it does look like he just ran away from the circus."

"Oo, burn!" Bobby punched Percy in the shoulder.

"You know," Reyna said to Bobby, "if you gave up a portion of your big muscles for a little bit of brains, you might have a few intelligent comments once in a while."

"Oo, Reyna, you just said I had big muscles. I know I'm ripped. It comes with the job." he flexed. No one was impressed.

"Job?" Gwen asked.

"Of being an idiot." Bianca explained.

"I will squish you." Bobby threatened.

"Go ahead and try." Bianca sat back and motioned for him to come forward. Gwen burst out laughing.

"So, are we going to have a fight or a party?" she asked.

"What's the difference?" Bobby asked.

"Meathead." Hazel announced.

"Did I ask your opinion?"

"Can it, Bobby, no one cares." Reyna ordered.

Percy watched their bickering quietly. Jason's friends had gravitated to him. He wasn't sure if it was because he helped save Reyna. Or if they really liked him. Or if he was a temporary placeholder for Jason. Or a bit of all three. But they had all come to celebrate his seventeenth birthday so they must have liked him a little. Of course, Hazel still didn't like him and she'd made a cake. So maybe she'd poisoned it.

"Are we going to celebrate or what?" Daisy demanded, glaring at them.

"What is it?" Percy asked, "Party or die?"

"Oh, yeah!" Bobby put his hands in the air.

"We're doing this the traditional family way." Daisy ordered, "They're Greek."

"Obviously." Dakota nodded to Percy's shirt.

"Oh, don't start that again." Hazel groaned. "Let's just get this over with." She turned away and pulled out a cake. It was blue with frosting seaweed draped over it and 17 right in the middle in large orange numbers. "To match your clown costume." she said, pointing to his orange shirt.

"I thought you just said we weren't going to start that again." Reyna put her head in her hands.

"I said Dakota wasn't going to start that again. I didn't say anything about me." Hazel stuck two candles in the campfire and then put them on the cake. "Okay, let's do the singing thing."

"Happy Birthday to you!" Percy rocked back but kept a smile plastered on his face. They were so off tune it would have been funny had his eardrums not been splitting. "Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday-" Daisy went really off-key at this part, "to the Twins! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU!" Everyone clapped.

Percy's ears were ringing.

"Thanks, guys," Percy said, "That was...something else."

"I'LL CUT THE CAKE!" Bobby yelled, yanking out his sword.

Lynn jerked forward and moved the cake out of harm's way. "No," she said, "_I'll _cut the cake. It will still be recognized as food when I'm done."

Everyone laughed while she passed out the cake.

Percy wondered where Annabeth was and what she was thinking. Gwen moved a little and squeezed his hand. She smiled at him and he smiled back. Right now he would focus on what was happening in front of him. He would ponder Annabeth later. It was time to relax in First Legion, three words that didn't really go that well together. Relax and First Legion. Nope. Not compatible. Bobby stuffed a fistful of cake in Percy's face.

"Pay attention, Water Boy."

"That's what I do best." Percy grinned through the cake.

"Whatever." almost everyone said at once. Percy laughed, wiping off some frosting.

"Open my presents first." Bobby commanded, throwing two crudely wrapped brown gifts at them.

"Thanks, Bobby. I always wanted..." Percy ripped open his present, "A box of band-aids. You're too kind."

"Is this a bloody knife?" Gwen asked, holding the knife at arm's length.

"It's a bloody, rusty knife I stabbed Jason with once." Bobby explained proudly. Gwen's eyebrows went up. She glanced at Percy, _And he kept it why? And he thought I'd want it why? _

"Thanks, Bobby."

"Yeah, I know, you wouldn't believe I just grabbed some stuff I found in my cabin, would you?"

"Not at all." Percy lied.

Dakota got Percy a world map and Gwen colored markers. Lynn gave Percy a seashell she found once and Gwen a set of rubber bands. Reyna had found a laurel leaf for Percy and a piece of circular bronze scrap metal for Gwen. Hazel gave them both a single grape apiece. ("Try not to kill it.") From Bianca, Percy got a small fish skeleton preserved in sandstone and Gwen got a ring made of bone with a little diamond in the center. Daisy gave them a necklace she'd weaved out of flowers and grass that had a smiley face sticker on one of the flowers. ("I'm going green. Just practice.")

"My turn!" Gwen turned to Percy and held out a small box. He smiled at her and took it. Inside the box was a clay bead. It had a red heart on it with orange arrows going through it. At first glance, it looked like a crab. Percy paused to put it on his necklace.

"Thanks, Gwen. This is from Dad and me." he showed her the pouch he'd hidden her present in. She smiled at him. She poured the necklace out onto her hand. Her face looked at his sharply, mirroring surprise. He grinned at her. She looked at the necklace and touched the part he'd made. It had taken him a couple weeks to make it and make it look slightly how he wanted it to look.

It was a thumb-nail sized silver crab. One leg was longer than all the others but Percy had scratched into the center, in his sloppy handwriting, _Dad. _It wasn't very good. It could have been mistaken for a spider or a jellyfish or something. But Gwen slipped it around her neck and fit the clasp. Percy's handiwork shined on her purple shirt from the glow of the campfire.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"Well," Dakota said, looking back to where everyone else was having dinner like good little Romans, "People are going to start coming out here now that dinner's almost done. I would have us finish the cake but I think Bobby read my mind."

Bobby grinned at him, his mouth stuffed full of the rest of the cake.

Dakota tossed the cardboard plate into the fire.

"I wonder where Jason is." he mumbled.

"On his way here." Gwen replied, everyone looked at her, "The Greeks will come with Jason for Percy. They'll come to help us defeat Gaea and her forces."

"We don't need their help." Bobby said, licking a frosting covered finger. Gwen glared at him.

"We could use all the help we get. The Greek and the Romans together will fix this. We are brothers. We are family. We are one."

"Spoken like a true Greek." Hazel said. Gwen fell silent.

"When thay cum fer Percy," Lynn asked, "Will ya go with 'em, Gwen?"

Gwen hesitated then opened her mouth. But Percy didn't find out whether she said yes or no or skirted around the question, because Dakota suddenly jumped to his feet and yelled, "Do you hear that?"

Everyone was on their feet in an instant.

"It's coming from over there!" Reyna pointed to the hills. They held their breath as they waited. The sound of metallic wing beats grinding against their ears even though it was just a whisper.

"Should we alert Lupa?" Daisy whispered.

"Yeah, someone go get her." Percy ordered. Lynn broke away and went running, holding onto her straw hat. Flashes of bronze shone in the sky. Then they really saw it. It was a bronze boat. A bronze flying boat.

"There's orange on it!" Gwen yelled, "Archers, hold your bows. Steady!" Reyna and Bianca tightened their grip on their bows. Everyone else held their swords and knives tightly.

The boat was going down. It was going to land. Gwen began to run forward. Percy went after her, Bianca trailing.

"Stay back!" Gwen called to the others. Percy, Gwen, and Bianca stopped on the crest of the hill. The boat was coming down a little too hot and fast. Percy found himself capping Riptide. Gwen glanced at him but didn't put her swords away. Then the boat half-landed, half-crashed in the field of blue-green grass.

"Festus! Are you okay, buddy?" a voice called. Gwen cocked her head a little bit, a small smile pulling on her lips.

"Our birthday party was crashed by a happy boat."

The passengers to the happy boat jumped off. Percy held his breath when he saw the orange shirts. There were about six people. They turned around to look at Percy, Bianca, and Gwen. Percy was very aware of his orange shirt.

"Greeks." Bianca said in a low voice.

"Peace!" Gwen called over her shoulder. She flicked her wrists to put her swords up. Bianca put her arrow up. "Welcome, Greeks of Camp Half-Blood to First Legion, home to the Romans!" It surprised Percy how tight and lifeless her voice was. It always surprised him. He wondered if he'd ever get used to it. He knew he never wanted to.

_Gwen, _he said in her head, _I want to you know, before they get up here, that no matter what I'm called, I'm still your brother. It doesn't matter if I'm called a Greek or Roman or neither. I'm both and whatever I want to be. I am the son of Poseidon. Your brother. The son of Neptune. _


End file.
